Fairy Tail Z
by ZenkaiPower
Summary: Four Saiyans, while enjoying a day of training, end up landing in a strange world. Though they don't really know why they're there, they try to make the best of the situation while an unknown enemy beyond their comprehension awaits for the chance to meet them. Contains many characters from both anime/manga series, plenty of cameos, but mostly follows Team Natsu and Team Demi-Saiyan
1. Prologue

Prologue: Where am I?

His red hair and eyes flared as he felt his energy coursing throughout his body. Light of the same color emitted from him, creating a flame like appearance around him. The grass around him was uprooted and blown away by the sheer force of the wind created by his energy. His red eyebrows lowered as he focused on his target in the distance. The little white creature he was staring at taunted him, putting one finger in its nose, sticking its tongue out, and making a drawn out noise as it floated some twenty feet off the ground. Even though it was just a ghost, it behaved too much like its creator; who was standing proudly underneath it, his long yellow hair and black and yellow vest flapping with the wind that his sparring partner was putting out.

"Ka-" the red haired fighter began to say as he took the signature stance.

"You're never going to hit him! He's just as fast as me!" the smaller fighter bragged with his fists on his hip.

"Me-" ignoring the taunt, the Saiyan God began gathering his energy between the palms of his hands. The red light that surrounded him slightly lowered in intensity.

"Surprise!" The Super Saiyan 3 fighter yelled across the distance as a second ghost rushed the Saiyan God from behind and seemingly out of nowhere. And explosion and a cloud of smoke resulted from the collision. The little fighter jumped around in excitement; he couldn't believe that actually worked!

"Ha-" He heard through the smoke.

"Whhaaa?!" Gotenks said as he saw a red light break through the smoke. _No way!_ He screamed inside his head.

"ME-" The smoke cleared, showing Gotenks' sparring partner untouched and still powering his attack.

"What're you waiting for?! Get him!" Gotenks yelled at his last kamikaze ghost. It made a salute, and began zipping towards its target. But as it reached the red haired Saiyan, it swung out its arm, slashing through the target. The ghost looked around, just as confused as the Saiyan that created it.

Gotenks heard a noise behind him and his face showed his great surprise when he quickly turned to see a blue light shining in his face as he heard the last syllable of the Turtle Hermit signature move yelled from his opponent. The blue beam immediately made contact with Gotenks' face and carried him along for what looked like a painful ride that ended with a collision into the ghost. The Saiyan god watched as two small bodies went flying in opposite directions away from the explosion. _Whoops! Looks like I might have over done it a bit._ He thought as he powered down.

Looking to the left of the newly made crater, he saw a 14 year old lavender-haired Saiyan falling out of a nearby tree. Looking to the right, he saw the 13 year old black haired Saiyan climbing out of a pile of rocks about 100 feet away from the crater. The red haired Saiyan chuckled as he looked at the pair, seeing them slowly get up.

"Goten!" Trunks Briefs yelled across the gap, hoping his partner in crime wasn't knocked out.

"Errghh… Yeah, Trunks?!" Son Goten called out in response.

"You two still want to fight?" the God asked as he watched Goten fly quickly over to Trunks' side.

"It ain't over yet, buster!" Trunks yelled as Goten nodded. Simultaneously, the two teenagers' hair turned spiky and golden with electrical energy sparking around them.

"Ready!" Trunks yelled as he and Goten set their feet in place, ready to launch, "Go!"

After a few seconds, both demi-Saiyans sat in the dirt, rubbing their heads.

"Go, Papa! Yaay!" a small voice cheered happily as the red haired fighter stood above the two. Looking up, the Saiyan God smiled at the crowd that had been watching the sparring match. The origin of the voice was a two year old black haired girl with onyx eyes, held by a young woman with black hair and bright blue eyes. Standing next to them was an older Saiyan, whose black hair unkemptly stuck out in every direction; the signature goofy grin on his face was made both out of sympathy for the two teenagers and pride for all three. The red haired fighter rose a few feet off the ground and coolly floated his way over to the spectators.

"Nice moves, Gohan!" Son Goku praised as his oldest son landed next to him, "You even split their fusion by sheer force!"

"Aaaagghh! Shut it, Kakarot!" an angry Saiyan standing aside from the group interrupted, "I can't believe Trunks lost that fast!"

"You should be happy if you ask me, Vegeta." Son Videl said as she walked up and put her free arm around her red haired husband, "It's impressive to be able to hang in the fight as long as they did against an opponent like that."

"She's right, Vegeta, relax." Goku said patting his friend and rival on the back, "I know Goten and Trunks definitely impressed me. Maybe we should let them become a Super Saiyan God, then should see how they do."

"No!" Vegeta refused, "I don't know about your brat, but my son will become a God all by himself, he is a Saiyan prince after all."

"Whatever you say, Vegeta." Goku said dismissively with some humor in his voice, "I just think you're still sore that I beat you in our sparring match the other day."

"You cheated and you know it, Kakarot!" Vegeta snapped back, "I would've won if you're silly little granddaughter hadn't distracted me!"

"A great warrior is ready for anything, Vegeta." Goku said with a grin, "I'm pretty sure you've said that once before."

"Whatever." Vegeta huffed and turned aside with his arms crossed as Pan giggled at him.

"Now, now, Pan." Gohan said, "You know it was wrong to interrupt them, so don't laugh."

"Sorry, Papa." Pan said as she put on a cute face to avoid angering her father. Gohan knew she was too smart for a toddler, almost dangerously smart. He smirked inside, admitting to himself that her shooting a ki blast at Vegeta was rather amusing. It wasn't like she meant any harm, she just wanted to help her grandfather out. Gohan reverted to his normal state and released his hold on Videl so he could move to hold his daughter.

"I'm going to go see how dinner's coming along. When you're cooking for six Saiyans, you're bound to need some help." Videl said with a smile as she turned to head back to the two Son houses, "You boys remember there's a little girl with you and play nice!"

Gohan watched the love of his life walk away for a moment, still amazed he ever managed to find someone like her. His father snapped him out of his reverie a moment later.

"Hey, Gohan?" The Son patriarch asked, "Are you hungry? 'Cause you look like you were just staring at something really delicious."

"Let's call it a hunger, sure, Kakarot." Vegeta said with a smirk as Gohan's face went red, "I can't believe you ever managed to have kids. But I guess it was just your Saiyan instincts and your wife that got the job done."

"I don't really know what you're talking about," Goku said, "But what I do know is that I need something to do to distract me from being hungry."

Gohan, glad to have a change of subject, heartily agreed. Vegeta immediately wanted a rematch with Goku, but Pan had a suggestion. One that Gohan later both regretted and was glad for.

"Papa!" Son Pan chirped, "You and Grandpa should race each other!"

"You know, what?" Goku said as he scratched the back of his neck, "I haven't raced anyone in a while. And I know you're pretty fast, Gohan. Why not?"

"What's the point of that?" Vegeta asked, still hoping for his rematch, "You two can use instant transmission can't you?"

"You still need to take the time to focus on your destination, Vegeta." Goku replied, "Maybe our race can be trying to go from many spots."

"Like a circuit of checkpoints." Gohan concluded, "And the race is more about focus than actual speed."

"Yeah, but maybe we should have a foot race part too." Goku said with a smirk, "We wouldn't want Vegeta to see nothing after all."

"What did you say, Kakarot?!" Vegeta growled back as Gohan nodded in agreement. After a few minutes, Goku and Gohan charted their race that would go between points on Otherworld, New Namek, and Earth.

"So, it's a race of both speed and skill. I like it." Gohan said as he started to mentally prep, "Vegeta, can you hold Pan for me?"

"NO! I'm not going to hold that darn brat of yours!" Vegeta huffed, still angry about the ki blast. Gohan didn't want to set Pan down to let her wander, and he wasn't too sure about letting the demon twins watch her. He figured he was just going to have to carry her along for the race if Vegeta wouldn't hold her.

"Well that wouldn't be fair if I'm not holding someone." Goku thought aloud, "I guess I'll have to carry you, Vegeta."

"Don't even think about it! Don't touch me, Kakarot!" Vegeta exclaimed taking a leap back, "Don't you have a brat of your own you can carry?!"

"Oh, yeah." Goku said remembering the two demi-Saiyans that were busy arguing over who messed up their battle strategy against Gohan, "Hey, Goten! Get over here!"

Goten and Trunks sped over immediately, landing in front of the four.

"What's up, Dad?"

After explaining the race and why Goten was even needed, which took surprisingly longer than expected due to Goten's short attention span; Goten readily agreed. Gohan was sure they probably didn't need to explain any of it, but they did.

"You're going on an adventure across the universe?!" Trunks asked excitedly, "Not fair! I wanna go too!"

"Well, why don't we fuse, then we could both go?" Goten replied. After waiting for the next few minutes to pass, Goten and Trunks fused as Gohan and Goku stretched.

"Alright everybody," Goku said, "Are we ready?"

Gohan nodded as Pan gave a giggle sitting on top her father's shoulders. Gotenks, piggybacking on Goku, gave a "Let's go!" with a thumbs up. Without delay, the race began as Gohan and Goku began sprinting. They planned to run for at least 5 miles on foot before flying 5 more and then transmitting to the next planet. They would repeat the process until they worked their way back to Earth in time for dinner. Vegeta would decide who won at the finish line, which was right back where they started.

The first transmission went smoothly as the Saiyans arrived on King Kai's planet, thoroughly startling him and demolishing his car.

"Hey! My car!" North Kai yelled as Goku and Gohan jumped from his planet towards Snake Way.

"Sorry, King Kai!" Goku called back, "I'll come by to fix it later!"

"Please don't!" King Kai pleaded as the racers faded into the distance, "This is what the kais get for letting living people come to Otherworld. One day, you let one in to train, then you get a full on fight on the supreme planet, and now they just pop in and out whenever they want!"

The race went smoothly until about halfway through, when Gotenks started taunting Gohan.

"You're pretty fast, Gohan." He called out to Gohan, "It's going to be a shame you lose to old gramps here!"

"Hey!" Goku complained, "What's that mean?!"

"I don't know, Gotenks." Gohan said with a chuckle, "If he's as fast as you, then I'll win this and have dinner before you two ever get home. Like my races with Goten ended."

"What did you say?!" Gotenks replied, still sore about his most recent defeat, "That's it!"

At that moment, Goku and Gohan, began to try to focus on their next instant transmission point as Gotenks lunged aside to grab Gohan, completely forgetting about the race. Gohan and Goku both began their instant transmissions as Gotenks grabbed Gohan's shoulder, unfortunately, Goku hadn't fully let go of Gotenks' legs. One chain of people were transmitting to two separate locations at the same time. Gohan saw a flash of bright blue, then something even stranger for less than a second, then he blacked out.

Goku appeared back on Earth, holding one of Gotenks' shoes. If this shoe didn't slip off, Goku didn't want to know what would've happened to Gotenks, or what the demon twins would have looked like after the fusion worn off. What he did wonder was where those four went.

"Eh." Goku said with a shrug after not being able to find any of their kis, "They're with, Gohan. What could go wrong? Anyway, I should be more worried about Chi Chi, Bulma, and Videl if they don't come back soon."

Gohan woke up to Pan tapping him on the forehead.

"Papa, wake up!" she said cheerily as she poked his forehead.

"Urgh." Gohan said as he sat up, putting a hand on his daughter's head, "What happened? And where's Gotenks and Dad?"

In response, Gohan heard a grumble and felt something move underneath him. He stood up to find himself sitting on top of a crater that was filled with the fused Saiyan.

"Ow, Gohan." Gotenks complained as he climbed out the hole in the ground, "You're too heavy."

It was at this point that Gohan looked around to realize where they landed. Looking up, he noticed the massive hole they put in some poor soul's roof and floor.

"Oops." Gotenks said, finally realizing the same thing as Gohan, "Well, at least, we didn't land in the fireplace or something."

As if on cue, bright orange and red flames erupted around them with a deafening roar.

"Are you sure we didn't?!" Gohan asked as he dove away from the flames, making sure to cover his daughter from the heat.

"What's the big idea, smashing through my house like that!? Only I get to do that!" A mysterious voice demanded angrily.

A second voice chimed in to agree.

"Aye, Sir!"


	2. Chapter 1

I do not own DB or FT

Chapter 1: Welcome to Fairy Tail!

Gohan peered through the flames to see an imposing figure cast by the shadows of the flames. The figure seemed to cock its head sideways in confusion, but before anyone said anything else; Gotenks dove into the flames to tackle their attacker. Their collision sent them flying through the front door. Gohan listened to Gotenks scuffle with the home owner and watch as flames and light would shine through the door every so often. Exclamations of "What the-?" or "How the-?" could be heard as each fighter saw the other's powers.

"Ah! So you use some kind of light magic I see!" the owner's said loudly.

"What're you talking about?!" Gohan heard Gotenks ask through the doorway.

Gohan would have gone outside to help Gotenks, but Pan brought his attention to someone else in the house.

"Papa, look!" Pan cried happily, "Pu'ar! Pu'ar's here too!"

Gohan looked slightly upward to see a blue cat hovering just above his head. It had on its back a set of white wings and a green bag strapped around its neck. The cat stared at the two, silently sizing them up.

"That may be a flying cat, Pan," Gohan said in reply, "But that's not our Pu'ar. Pu'ar doesn't normally have wings. Besides, Pu'ar's can talk. That's not something you find every day."

"But I can talk." The blue cat replied as he bobbed up and down in the air, "Though I don't know what a Pu'ar is. Is it some type of fish?"

Their conversation was interrupted as the owner's voice yelled in surprise, "You can fly too?! So you have wind magic also?!"

Gohan heard Gotenks taunting his mysterious opponent and restating that he was making no sense.

"Happy, get out here!" The opponent called out, "I need your help!"

"Aye, Sir!" The cat said as he turned to fly out the door; on his way out he called back to Gohan and Pan, "Be right back!"

Gohan, still trying to figure out his surroundings, decided to go outside and see if Gotenks needed any help. He grabbed Pan by the hand and led her outside. The sight he saw when he looked into the sky was pretty impressive. He and Pan watched as Gotenks and this young man clash in the sky, seemingly matching each other blow for blow. Gohan took the chance to study this stranger.

Gotenks' opponent was, Gohan guessed, around 18 years old. He had pink hair and wore a black vest with orange edging, a white scarf that looked scaly in pattern, sandals, and a set of pants to match the vest. Gohan found it ironic that the clothing of Gotenks was similar in style to this pink haired fighter's. Gotenks obviously did too, because at that moment he complemented his opponent's clothes, and got one in return. After taking enough time to study the stranger and read his ki, Gohan determined he couldn't be too dangerous.

"That's enough, Gotenks!" Gohan called out, "Let's settle this calmly."

"Awww, come on, Gohan!" the fused warrior whined, "I was just getting started!"

"Me too!" the pink haired stranger agreed, "I was just getting warmed up!"

"I think we should listen to the weirdo with the kid, Natsu." The blue cat said as it lowered to the ground with the pink haired boy, "I don't think they meant anything by breaking a hole in our roof."

"Still, I'm going to have to fix that. That means we aren't going on that job today with Lucy."

"Fine by me!" the cat declared, "I didn't feel like having mean Lucy hindering my kind and ever positive spirit today anyway."

"I'm sorry about crashing through your house, but we don't even really know how we got here to be honest." Gohan said, interrupting the pair's conversation, "Could you tell us where we are?"

"What d'you mean?" Natsu asked with a confused look, "You're outside my house."

"No, Natsu." Happy said, "I think they don't know what town they're in."

"Oh, well, you're just outside of Magnolia." Natsu told Gohan stretching out a hand, "My name's Natsu by the way. Natsu Dragneel."

"It's nice to meet you, Natsu." Gohan said shaking his new acquaintance's hand, "I'm Son Gohan."

"And I'm Happy, the Catmander!" the blue tomcat said as he swooped around the two.

"That's a silly name." Gotenks mumbled.

"I heard that, whoever you are!" Natsu barked at him in response.

"I'm sorry for Gotenks, he can be impolite at times."

"There's no way he could be as rude as Natsu." Happy replied.

"What happened to being an ever positive and kind spirit?!" Natsu asked. Before they could start another argument, a new set of voices called out.

"Natsu! Happy! Are you guys alright?!" They heard a girl's voice call out.

Turning, the group saw a beautiful blonde girl and a black haired young man come running up. Gohan sensed another ki somewhere nearby, but he thought nothing of it because it was so low. Come to think of it, all of their kis were low. But considering how strong he saw Natsu was, that couldn't be right_. Maybe they know how to mask their kis like we can. _Gohan thought.

"Lucy? Gray?" Natsu said slightly confused, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We saw something fall from the sky in this direction, so we'd thought we'd go look." The blonde replied, "Then it sounded like you were fighting someone, so we decided to see if you needed help."

Gohan looked over the blonde girl. She had a blue bow in her hair, wearing a tight fitting sleeveless white and blue collar shirt, and a blue short skirt. She also had a brown belt around her waist with some silver and golden keys attached. Gohan also noticed the strange tattoo on her right hand. The black haired boy looked into Natsu's house and saw the mess.

"What happened in here?" He asked Natsu, "Did you finally break something you own for once?"

"I did not, you walking brain freeze!" Natsu replied angrily.

While the two strangers argued, Gohan took the time to look over "the walking brain freeze" _Whatever that means. _Upon closer examination, Gohan realized that the young man's hair was actually a dark blue. The guy was shirtless for some reason unbeknownst to Gohan, showing off the strange mark on his chest. Gohan noticed it was the same as on the blonde's. He actually noticed the mark on Natsu's right shoulder. _They must be in some kind of gang together._ Gohan continued looking over the shirtless stranger, but was confused. He was wearing long green pants, but now he was in dark blue shorts. _Did he just take his pants off? So quickly that not even _I_ saw it happen?_

Ignoring Natsu and her shirtless friend, the blonde turned to Gohan.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Lucy." She said with a charming smile, "I hope Natsu didn't rough up you guys too badly. The guy arguing with Natsu is Gray Fullbuster. He'll say hi when those two are done their usual spat."

"It was nothing Gotenks couldn't handle." Gohan said scratching the back of his neck, "I'm Son Gohan. This is Gotenks and Pan."

Gotenks stood silently as he nervously nodded and mumbled a hello to Lucy. Gohan noticed he was sweating more than when he was fighting Natsu.

Lucy noticed Pan finally and cooed over her, "Look at this cutie!"

Pan giggled happily and walked over to Lucy, reaching for her keys.

"Don't play with those, Pan." Gohan said, "They aren't yours."

"It's okay, she wasn't hurting anybody." Lucy said smiling, "Anyway, are you guys from around here?"

"No, but that's kind of a long story." Gohan replied, "Natsu only just told us we were near a town called Magnolia."

"Well then, it's settled!" Lucy exclaimed, "Allow me to show you guys around."

Natsu and Gray finally stopped arguing so Lucy could tell them she was going to be going around town with their new friends. Gohan could have sworn he saw Natsu twitch slightly, but didn't think anything of it. Natsu and Happy decided to get to rebuilding right away, and Gray said something about finding someone named Erza and finishing some job Lucy had picked out.

"Excuse me," Gohan asked after Gray had finished, "But is this Erza the person that's been watching us from that treeline?"

A heap of twigs could be heard snapping as whoever was watching ran off.

"No, that was probably just my stalker, Juvia." Gray said as he put a hand to his forehead.

"Riiiight…" Gohan said weakly.

A few minutes later, Gohan and Gotenks were walking beside Lucy on the river front, Pan riding on Lucy's shoulders. Lucy told Gohan she didn't mind, and so Pan and she became fast friends. Gotenks mentioned his fight with Natsu made him hungry, so Lucy decided to take them to a nearby restaurant. Gohan admitted he was hungry as well, but he didn't want to intimidate Lucy with their appetites. Lucy joked, saying she was sure no one could top Natsu's appetite and insisted on buying them dinner. She was confused when Gohan asked for a table for five people. It was only when they sat at the table that he confusion was answered with more confusion.

The thirty minutes finally ended, and Goten and Trunks finally appeared separately. Lucy jumped with shriek; Trunks jumped away from Lucy, worried he scared her, while Goten smiled and said hello.

"H-h-hi, there." Lucy said as she regained her composure, "I-I'm…"

"Lucy, we know your name, silly." Goten said, "But I'm Goten, Gohan's brother. And this is Trunks."

Gohan explained what she just saw, and told her everything he knew about fusion while they waited for their food to arrive. Gohan ordered Trunks, Pan, and Goten to go easy on the food, saying they'll go catch some fish later. Lucy added that they might want to ask Natsu and Happy about good fishing spots.

"So fusion is some kind of magic?" Lucy asked picking up where they left off, "I don't think I've ever met someone who could do that."

"No, it's not magic." Gohan explained; but then paused, "Lucy, actually, could you tell me why we keep getting asked about magic?"

"You mean you don't use magic?" She asked confused, to which Gohan shook his head, "Then fusion is just a skill you three know how to do?"

"We know tons of skills." Trunks said sticking his chest out. It seemed he was starting to regain his confidence, and now he wanted to show off for Lucy, "I'm one of the best fighters that ever lived!"

"So is that why you guys are wearing martial arts clothes?" Lucy asked with interest.

"That's right." Gohan said, "Goten and I were trained by our Dad, so we wear his gi; and Trunks is being trained by his father, so he's got a different outfit."

"That's right." Trunks added as he continued to try to impress Lucy, "But sometimes I wear actual battle armor, being a prince and all."

"Oh, really!" Lucy said both amused and honestly, "I didn't realize I was catering to kings today!"

"He is a prince," Gohan noted, "But that's a bit of a long and sad story to be honest."

Lucy picked up on the hint of honest sadness in Gohan's voice and decided it would be best to change the subject, "So you guys do not use magic, but are strong enough fighters to even keep up with Natsu. That is amazing, you guys must train a lot."

"I train too Lu-chan!" Pan chirped, wanting to be a part of the conversation.

"Aren't you a bit young for fighting?" Lucy said with a hint of concern.

"Her training right now isn't sparring." Gohan replied, "She's mostly just learning basic techniques and training her mind. She's only two and she's probably smarter than me in some ways to be honest."

"It must be nice having a sweet big brother that'll help teach you so well." Lucy said smiling as she complimented Gohan.

"Oh, I'm not her brother." Gohan said, "I'm her father. I train her. We were going to wait another year or so to start her training, but as soon as she could talk, she wanted to fight."

"Really?!" Lucy said somewhat surprised, "How old ARE you, Gohan?"

"23. Why?" He replied.

"I just don't usually hear about people having kids so young." Lucy explained, "Two of guildmates got married, and I'm pretty sure they waited a little before having a daughter."

"I guess things just kinda happen sometimes." Gohan answered.

The five chatted as they ate their food, and Goten and Trunks surprisingly managed to hold off on pigging out. Gohan figured Trunks was still trying to impress Lucy, and Goten was genuinely listening.

"Lucy?" Gohan started, "You said 'guildmates' earlier. What does that mean?"

"You've never heard of guilds before?" Lucy asked.

"I know what the word means," Gohan explained, "But where we are from, there aren't any around that I know of."

"Where you're from must be pretty isolated," Lucy remarked, she was starting to think they were from another continent, "Because there are wizard guilds all over the kingdom of Fiore."

"Wizards?!" Trunks said with a tone of concern as Goten jumped too; an image of a green wizard and his pink abomination came to mind.

"Yes, why?" Lucy asked, "Did I say something?"

"We don't have wizards where we're from." Gohan explained, "And the last one we met tried to kill us all. Trunks and Goten didn't mean anything though."

"That wizard must have been a member of a dark guild." Lucy said, "Do you know which one?"

"I don't know if he was in one or not." Gohan said.

"Anyway," Lucy continued, "There are people in Fiore that know how to use magic to fight, and the good wizards join guilds. Natsu, Gray, and I are in the number one guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail."

Lucy showed Gohan the symbol on her hand, "All guild members have a guild mark somewhere on their body."

"So you're a wizard too?" Goten asked her curiously.

"That's right. I'm a celestial mage." Lucy answered with a proud smile, "I can call spirits from another world to fight by my side, and I'm getting better at hand to hand combat myself. These keys I carry are my weapons so to speak."

"Oooohhhh!" Goten said as Trunks leaned in to look at the keys.

"They don't look special." The lavender haired boy said rudely.

"You bet they ARE special." A new voice replied as a bright light momentarily filled the room. Standing by their table now was an orange haired guy around Gohan's age, wearing a full suit and cool shades, "And if you're thinking of trying to date my Lucy, Mr. Gohan, you should know that she's all mine."

Gohan and Lucy went bright red as Lucy protested that comment.

"Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Pan, this is Loke." She said with a huff, "He's one of my strongest celestial spirits. And he's got a major crush on me, so just ignore him."

Lucy told Loke to leave, a command which the spirit took his time to obey; saying to Gohan as he left, "I'm watching you."

Gohan's skin started to return to its normal color by the time dinner was over. They four Saiyans thanked Lucy for buying them dinner, and followed her around town, taking in the sights. Finally they arrived at a large building with the same symbol Lucy had on her hand decorating the front.

"This is my guild, the greatest in Fiore!" Lucy said proudly as she shoved the doors open. The sight was definitely impressive, Gohan noted as he took a good look.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Greatest Guild

"Wooooow!" Goten and Trunks said together as they looked inside. Before they could step inside, however, a bright orange and red fireball went flying past them, snapping the two back to reality.

"Will you two ever behave?!" the group outside heard a young woman's commanding voice say.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Goku was explaining the strange incident to Vegeta.

"So you're saying they just disappeared on you, Kakarot?" the Saiyan Prince asked.

"That's right." Goku said, "And I can't feel their ki anywhere."

"That blasted idiot Gotenks!" Vegeta fumed, "As soon as they come back, we need to have a word or two with our sons."

"I agree," Goku replied, "But right now, we need to worry about finding them first. Chi Chi and Videl are going to kill me when they find out their boys have gone missing! And I'm sure Bulma's going to kill you!"

"Damnit, you're right." Vegeta agreed nervously, "But what do we do?"

"I don't know." Goku answered as he paced.

"Maybe I can help?" a voice said as it popped into Goku and Vegeta's head.

"Oh hi, King Kai!" Goku said cheerily, but he stopped, "Sorry about your car earlier."

"Hmph. Don't remind me." North Kai pouted, "But you already got your punishment by the sound of it."

"Not yet, King Kai." Goku said, "But we are going to be in serious trouble soon. Do you know where Gohan and the kids are?"

"No, I can't find them." King Kai replied, "But that's why I'm talking to you. I can't find them anywhere. It's like they don't exist anymore."

"What?!" Vegeta exclaimed, "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that they are nowhere the Kais can look." The voice explained, "Believe me, all the Kais are already searching for them."

"How do all the Kais already know about their disappearance, King Kai?" Goku asked, "It only just happened."

"Supreme Kai likes to keep an eye on his former students. And he noticed their absence the moment it occurred. Gotenks really messed up this time."

"You can say that again." Vegeta grumbled.

"If Vegeta would have just watched Pan, they'd all be fine." Goku said, getting protest in response, "I mean, come on, Vegeta. Pan cannot be as bad as your daughter."

"Keep talking, Kakarot, I still want my rematch. And your granddaughter isn't here to save you now."

"When you two are done having your argument," King Kai interrupted, "The Supreme Kai would like to see you both."

"Okay, King Kai." Goku nodded and put two fingers to his forehead, "Tell him we're on our way. Let's go, Vegeta. Maybe we can fix this before our wives kill us."

Back on Earthland, Gohan sat at the Fairy Tail's bar, listening to Lucy talk about the members of her guild. He could tell she thought very highly of each and every one of them; and Gohan agreed with her, these guild members were certainly something else.

Gohan saw Gray sitting next to the blue haired girl Lucy told him was Juvia. He learned that Gray used ice magic to make anything inanimate out of ice. Juvia, he was told, uses water magic and that's why she immediately fell in love with Gray. In fact, Juvia's body was entirely made of water. That fact prompted Goten to run up to Juvia and begin to poke her arm.

"Doesn't feel like water, Lucy!" He exclaimed as a confused water mage stared at him.

"Juvia is confused." The blue haired girl said.

"But her chest feels like water balloons!" Goten declared as he poked Juvia's left breast, making Gray snort his drink on to the table.

"Juviin!" She yelled as she grew bright red and slapped away Goten's arm.

"Goten, you're not supposed to touch girls there!" Trunks called out as Goten ran to hide under a table.

Trunks had ventured over to Natsu and Happy, he wanted to fight them again; but first he needed to find some fish.

"Your brother has a unique personality." A kind and warm voice said behind Gohan. When he turned to reply, he saw a beautiful woman with long white hair, a long red dress with pink lacing, and bright blue eyes. The smile she wore on her face showed the same care and happiness her voice and eyes showed. Gohan had to admit, she was an enchanting personality.

"Goten's usually described a unique, so yeah." Gohan joked.

"My name's Mirajane." She said as she introduced herself, "But a strong and cute looking guy like you can call me Mira."

Gohan blushed slightly, but politely introduced himself.

"Gohan isn't from around here, Mira." Lucy explained, "They actually don't have guilds where he comes from."

"Oh, really?" Mira asked, "You must not be from Fiore then. What are you doing so far from home?"

"I'm actually still trying to figure that out myself." Gohan explained.

"That's the weird bit, Mira." Lucy told her guildmate, "Gohan and his friends fell from the sky and crash landed in Natsu and Happy's house."

"Natsu couldn't have been too happy about that." Mira said as she chuckled at her pun.

"Natsu tried to cook them from the sound of it." Lucy replied, "But Goten and Trunks used some cool ability to fight him. It sounded like they were pretty evenly matched."

"Those two must be very strong in order to do that." Mira concluded.

"They're getting there." Gohan said with a nod.

"Hey, Lucy!" Mira said cheerily.

"Yeah, Mira?"

"You're gonna tell me that a cute, strong, polite, and smart guy literally fell from the sky and you haven't asked him out yet?"

"MIRA!"

Gohan continued to hear about members of Fairy Tail from Lucy and Mira as Trunks sat and talked with Natsu, Happy, and a dark purple haired boy named Romeo.

"So you both use fire magic?" Trunks asked.

"That's right." Natsu said, "But Romeo's fire is cooler. He can use more kinds than I can."

"But who's stronger?" Trunks asked.

"Big bro is definitely stronger." Romeo said, "But I'll get there one day."

"Aye!" Happy added.

Goten was still hiding from Juvia under a table when a girl's voice piped up, "What are you doing under there?"

Goten looked to his left to see a blue haired girl looking at him. For some reason, he blushed.

"I-I-I was hiding from that water lady and her boyfriend." Goten said as he pointed towards Juvia. Gray protested and Juvia went red and reached for Gray's arm. The blue haired girl giggled at Goten, then she extended a hand to Goten and pulled him from under the table.

"You're Goten, right? My name's Wendy." The girl said with a smile as Goten stood up, "It's nice to meet you."

Goten looked at the girl smiling at him. She was wearing a bright red dress that left her shoulders bare, but her forearms had red sleeves. She had black and white striped leggings with black shoes that looked like white wings coming out from her ankles. Her blue hair was long with nothing in it, and her smile and brown eyes showed a warmth that seemed motherly.

"You're very pretty." Goten said, making Wendy blush.

"Mind what you're saying." A second voice said to Goten. This voice had an air of intelligence, but at the moment sounded protective. Goten looked to the right of Wendy and saw that the speaker was a floating white cat with white wings, a red dress, and a pink bow on her collar and at the end of her tail.

"Another flying cat?" Goten asked.

"I am an Exceed, I'll have you know. And there are three of us in Fairy Tail." The white cat said with her nose in the air, "I'm Charle, and unlike that blue tomcat or you, I know my manners."

"Don't be so mean, Charle," Wendy said as Goten nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Goten's new here."

"I saw what he did to Juvia." Charle replied, "I'd watch myself around him if I were you."

"Don't worry, Miss Charle!" Goten said with a smile, "Wendy doesn't have a chest to poke like water lady!"

"It's true!" Wendy said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Oh, now look what you've done!" Charle exclaimed.

"Don't cry, Wendy! I'm sorry!" Goten pleaded.

"You shouldn't insult a girl on her looks, y'know." A new voice told Goten. This time the voice was rough and curt. Goten turned to see a tall man with long, wild black hair wearing a long and dark blue sleeveless shirt that extended to his knees, splitting in the middle of his waist just under his belt. He wore plain white pants underneath, but the curious part of his outfit was the metal studs that lined his collar and sleeves. He even had metal studs on his eyebrows, nose, and ears.

"Like you're one to talk, Gajeel!" An older blue haired girl in an orange dress called out, "You call me 'Shorty' or 'Short-stuff' every day!"

"Woah." Goten said as he looked at Gajeel. Immediately curious, Goten moved closer to him.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" the man asked as Goten hopped up on the table. Goten started poking Gajeel's metal studs as Wendy giggled.

"You look like you have nails in your face! Did it hurt? How'd you get them?" Goten inquired as he stared uncomfortably close at Gajeel's face.

"My whole body's made of iron!" Gajeel declared with his face showing irritation, "It didn't hurt, and I don't remember when I got these."

"So if your whole body's iron…" Goten said flicking Gajeel's forehead to hear what sound it made, "Then these are like pimples right?"

Wendy and the other blue haired girl burst out laughing as Gajeel's face went red.

"That's it, kid! You're DEAD!"

"Ooops!" Goten said as he dodged Gajeel's first swipe at him. Goten accidentally kicked over a pizza that Wendy had been eating with Charle as he turned and ran. A slice smacked Gajeel in the face, only further infuriating him.

"I'm definitely calling you Pizza-face every time you call me short now!" the orange dress girl said, nearly dying of laughter with Wendy.

"Shut up, Levy!" Gajeel pouted, the wind thoroughly knocked out of his sails now, "I'm going to get that kid."

Goten heard Wendy say something about needing to get food now and not having money, and he instantly felt guilty. He decided he should go find a way to make up for ruining her dinner. He looked out around the chairs he was hiding behind, and decided to sneak out of the guild hall in search of food for Wendy.

Gohan caught a glimpse of Goten sneaking out the door, but thought nothing of it. Goten should be okay as long as he wasn't wandering around with Trunks. THAT's when there's cause for concern. Gohan was talking with Lucy about the strongest people in the guild when another girl, this one closer to his own age, walked up. Well, not exactly walked, more like staggered.

"Well, who's this cutie?" the tan skinned woman asked as she looked Gohan over.

"Cana, this is Gohan." Lucy replied, "He's new in town. Gohan, this is Cana Alberona."

Cana wore a blue bikini top with tight red pants. Her long brown hair made her dark purple eyes look lively. If it weren't for the reek of booze, the bottle in her hand, or the slur in her speech; Cana would seem to be a decent girl Gohan thought.

"I heard about you, hot stuff." Cana said, "A strong and handsome guy like you falls from the sky, huh? Looks like my cards were right today. Lucy showed you around town today, right?"

"Yeah, Magnolia's a nice town." Gohan said, "Plenty of sights to definitely see."

"Bah." Cana said as she edged closer to Gohan, "I think I could show you around town better. I'm sure with me you'll see some sights Lucy wouldn't show you."

"Cana!" Lucy exclaimed, face red as a tomato.

Before Gohan could form a response, Pan chimed in, "You smell like Papa at Miss Bulma's party last week!"

"Pan!" Gohan went red as Cana chuckled.

"Doubt it! Gohan looks like the kinda guy that can't hold his liquor." Cana joked.

"It actually takes a lot before i can feel a buzz." Gohan remarked, "Not that I drink often. Only on special occasions really."

"That sounds like a challenge, Gohan." Cana said with a smirk, "Maybe we should see who could drink who under the table?"

"Maybe some other time, Cana." Gohan answered turning his head towards a commotion that broke out just a minute ago, "But right now, I think I better stop Trunks and Natsu from destroying the whole place."

An explosion wracked the inside of the guild hall as Trunks went Super, knocking over all the nearby tables and chairs. Poor Happy was sent flying towards the bar, but was grabbed by Lucy before he could smash any of the bottles.

"Thanks, Lucy." He said weakly as he recovered.

"Alright, then!" Natsu yelled to Trunks, jumping on top of a table, "You wanna fight? Let's see who's stronger!"

"It's go time!" Trunks yelled as he charged his power. He was about to launch at Natsu, but Gohan appeared between them and swatted Trunks aside with the back of his hand.

"ENOUGH!" He commanded, "We didn't come here to break their stuff!"

"Hey, jerk!" Natsu shouted at Gohan, "I was supposed to hit him! Who am I gonna fight now?!"

When Natsu saw Trunks pulling himself out a hole in the wall, he immediately figured out who his new opponent was.

"Gohan, right?" Natsu asked. Gohan nodded.

"You're gonna fight me instead of your friend here!" Natsu declared.

"Are you sure you want that?" Gohan asked.

"I'm a dragon slayer, of course I wanna fight someone strong like you!" Natsu replied, "Tell you what; if you beat me, then you won't owe me for the hole in my roof. If I win, you'll have to join Fairy Tail and do some jobs for me, so I can go on vacation."

Gohan smirked, "If you really want to fight me, fine. But I won't fight unless you have a partner."

"Why?! You don't think I can take you all by myself?"

"I've seen you fight." Gohan said, "I don't think three of you could beat me to be honest."

"Oh, it's on now." Natsu said with a wicked grin, "Let's step outside!"

"After you-"

"I want to fight the new guy too!" Gajeel interrupted.

"Then come outside," Gohan said, "Natsu is going to need your help."

Lucy looked around the guild hall, then she put a hand to her face saying, "Oh boy."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Fireworks over Magnolia

"Pan, you stay with Lucy. Alright?" Gohan said as he turned to leave, "And don't try to help me like you did Grandpa, okay?

"Yes, Papa." Pan said as she grabbed Lucy's hand, "Lu-chan! Let's go watch!"

The other flying cat, Pantherlily, introduced himself to Gohan. He had been watching the newcomers the entire time they were here, and he was nervous about having to fight Gohan. When he thought Gohan was out of earshot, he voiced his concern to Happy, Natsu, and Gajeel. Gohan smirked as he listened to every word, and he took note that Lily was probably a really smart fighter himself.

"I know he's strong! That's why I wanna fight him!" Natsu replied to Lily, "Come on, Happy, let's do this!"

When everyone watching the fighting had finally come outside, Gohan asked his opponents if they'd rather start on the ground or in the air. Natsu chose the ground first, so Happy and Lily could watch Gohan's movements at first, hoping they'll figure him out. Gohan nodded and took a fighting stance.

Natsu stood to Gajeel's left as they both took a ready stance.

"Tonight, you will get an idea of what a Son can do." Gohan said calmly as he focused his energy. He decided to see how hard they could hit before he would even think about finding how hard they could get hit.

"Come at me." Gohan said.

"With pleasure!" Gajeel yelled as he made the first move, dashing to Gohan's right. Natsu mirrored his partner and dashed with a yell to Gohan's left. Instead of moving to dodge their attacks, Gohan stood between them and caught both their fists. He then swung them to his front, slamming them together.

"Iron Dragon Sword!" Gajeel yelled as he raised his right arm, turning it into a sword. He brought it down towards Gohan, but it was simply swatted aside by Gohan who guided the sword in Natsu's direction. Natsu jumped back to dodge Gajeel's missed attack, then immediately rushed at Gohan as he watch Gajeel get tossed aside by a back handed swipe with Gohan's right arm.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu yelled as his right hand was wreathed in flame. His punch made contact with Gohan's blocking forearms, but Gohan didn't feel a thing. In fact, Gohan wasn't even moved an inch.

_That's just like Gildarts!_ Happy thought nervously, _Except Gildarts gets pushed back a little now._ He began to wonder if they had bit off a lot more than they could chew with this fight.

"Are you gonna stop toying with us, or are you gonna start fighting?!" Natsu demanded from his opponent.

"You're attacks are strong," Gohan said, "But they look tiring to use."

"Buddy, I'm not getting tired." Gajeel said with a sneer.

"Yeah," Natsu agreed, "I'm just getting warmed up!"

Gajeel and Natsu both rushed Gohan, and they began throwing punches and kick left and right at Gohan; Natsu from the front, Gajeel from the back. Gohan managed to dodge or block every attack that came his way after getting them to his sides, but he started to get concerned that one of them might get lucky. Seeing an opportunity, Gohan dropped to a crouch, causing one of Natsu's punches to hit Gajeel; and then Gohan spun to face Gajeel, sweeping Natsu's feet out from underneath him with a kick. Gohan then sprung up with an uppercut, connecting it with Gajeel's jaw. Natsu grabbed Gohan's right ankle, trying to bring him down. Gohan responded by spinning once again, hitting Gajeel with Natsu and sending them both rolling back a couple feet.

"Not fast enough." Gohan taunted as he brushed some dirt off his left shoulder. Natsu and Gajeel got up quickly, reading for their next attack.

"You wanna see fast, pal?" Gajeel replied with utter seriousness.

"We've got fast." Natsu finished his partner's sentence. Natsu dashed to Gohan's left, and Gajeel to Gohan's right.

"Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon Fist!"

"Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs!"

Natsu's hands shone with a bright yellow light and orange flame, and Gajeel's arm turned into an iron lance as both rushed the demi-Saiyan. Gohan prioritized dodging Gajeel's attacks over Natsu's, aiming to avoid impalement; but he didn't want to see Natsu get hit by Gajeel either, seeing that the two were attacking wildly. Gohan dodged their attacks until Gajeel managed to knick Gohan's right forearm. Having waited long enough, Gohan grabbed Gajeel's lance, taking a hit to his left side from Natsu without flinching, and spun Gajeel into Natsu before the fire mage could land more hits. Natsu and Gajeel rolled a couple feet before jumping back onto their feet.

_He had to have felt that!_ Natsu thought exasperated.

_How did he not even wince? _Gajeel thought, _That assault had broken my iron scales!_

Gohan actually did feel the hit, but he kept his bearing. _That's gonna be a bruise later. _He thought,_ It's time to step this up a notch._

"How 'bout we take this to the air now?" Gohan asked as he started to levitate. He flew up about 100 feet or so, and waited for his two new opponents to join in the fight and carry their partners up with them. Happy wasn't too excited to fight a flying Gildarts, but he did as Natsu asked. Lily felt uneasy about this too, but he also followed his friends' leads. The four floated up to match Gohan's height in the sky. Everyone below except for Wendy saw mostly shapes of the fighters as they got ready for the second leg of the fight. No one said anything, stunned by how the fight seemed to be going. No one except Lucy, who just quietly said, "Wow."

"I will give you guys two chances to surrender. One of them's now." Gohan declared.

"Give up?!" Natsu said in surprise, "You're kidding right?!"

"Not a chance in hell, bub!" Gajeel answered, "Know show us what you really got!"

"Just remember that you asked for this." Gohan said as he tapped into his full potential, making a blue energy radiate from him and his hair to become slightly spikier than usual. He now was displaying his Ultimate form. _I'm still going to have to pull some of my punches though, I don't want to hurt them too bad._ The energy Gohan put out pushed his four opponents back slightly.

If he didn't like the look of their situation then, Happy was nearly totally scared now. Both he and Lily had to try hard just to stay in control during that simple display.

"Alright then." Gohan said with a grin, "Let's do this."

Gohan sprung into action, darting to Gajeel's side and putting him on the defense. Gohan took a few swipes at the iron dragon to test his reflexes. As he was doing so, Natsu appeared above Gajeel to leap into the fray.

"Fire Dragon Claw!" Natsu yelled, using his attack to throttle himself forward as fire erupted from his feet, "And Crushing Fang!"

Natsu swung himself upside down, using his momentum to add even more strength to one of the strangest uppercuts Gohan has ever seen. Undaunted, however, Gohan met Natsu's attack with a punch of his own, surrounding his left hand in yellow light and aiming downward to collided fist to fist. A small explosion of bright yellows and oranges occurred as a result.

"Iron Dragon Hammer!" Gajeel yelled as he spun his whole body wildly, hoping to catch Gohan off guard. Instead, Gohan seemed to disappear. Gajeel was about to start wondering where he went, when Gohan suddenly appeared behind him and blasted him with a quick ki blast.

"Agh!" Gajeel yelped as he was hit on his lower back; just under Lily who thought, _That was close!_

Natsu lunged at Gohan again, desperately trying to land a hit. Gohan flipped backwards to dodge the punch while managing to catch Natsu's jaw with his right knee as he pulled his legs up to add momentum to his spin. Gohan disappeared again when Gajeel swiped at him. But this time Gohan didn't attack when he reappeared. Instead, he flared his energy to put off an impressive display of light and power. Natsu and Gajeel turned to ready themselves for the next attack.

"Get ready!" Gohan warned them.

Gohan warped between Natsu and Gajeel, catching them both by surprise. He put his arms out, yelling, "Double Masenko- HA!"

A yellow beam of energy shot out of both his hands, hitting Natsu and Gajeel square in their chests.

"Gah!" Gajeel yelled as he and Lily recovered, "What the hell was that?!"

"I don't know." Natsu answered, "But seeing his power has me all fired up now!"

"How often do you use that pun?" Gohan asked humorously, "It makes for a good catch phrase though."

"I don't know really know, but thanks." Natsu replied, "But what I do know is that we've got a range attack of our own! Let's see if you can handle it!"

"Very well," Gohan said as he put his hands together at the wrist in front of himself, his right hand over his left, "I'll match you."

"KA-"

"Uh oh!" Trunks exclaimed as he heard what Gohan began to say. He turned to his fellow spectators, "You may want to find something to hold on to!"

"ME-"

"FIRE DRAGON-"

"IRON DRAGON-"

"HA-ME-"

Gohan threw his hands forward as Gajeel and Natsu leaned forward.

"ROOOOAAAAR!"

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

Gohan's massive blue beam of energy collided with Natsu and Gajeel's combined orange and black spiraling blast. Down below, the spectators felt a pressure shoving them down into the ground. Only the strongest of the spectators were able to stand fully upright and continue watching. The two attacks exploded after neither made any progress against each other. The entire surrounding area shook as the explosion wracked the city below. If people were still sleeping in Magnolia, they definitely woke up now.

Natsu, Gajeel, Happy, and Lily panted as the smoke cleared. The two Exceeds were glad that blast exploded when it did; they weren't sure they could have held out much longer against that attack.

"Not bad, you guys." Gohan said when the smoke cleared, "This is actually kind of fun."

Gohan reappeared behind Gajeel as he yelled, "But this is where it ends for you!"

Using both hands, he swung to knock Gajeel on the top of his head; but Lily saw it coming. He didn't have the time to lower Gajeel, so he instead transformed to take the hit himself. Gohan was surprised when he connected with a sword and saw two adult figures falling from the sky instead of one. Lily had managed to draw his Musica sword and use the flat end to block Gohan's attack, but Gohan was still too strong for him. The sword's other side hit Lily's head and immediately knocked him unconscious. Natsu and Happy watched as both Gajeel and Lily fell to the ground.

Lily reverted to his regular state as he continued to fall. Gajeel landed and looked up to see Gohan holding Lily gently and lowering himself to the ground. Gohan set Lily down softly and apologized.

"I didn't want to hit him." Gohan said to Gajeel, "But he knew you would have lost if you got hit. You've got a good friend. Don't worry about him though, I gave him some of my energy to heal, so he should be up in a few minutes."

Gajeel stared at Gohan as Natsu and Happy landed. It wasn't an angry glare, but a look that showed determination and focus.

"This is the last chance for surrendering." Gohan said, "After this, I'll hit you until you can't stand."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Natsu replied, showing the same determined look that Gajeel had.

"You know, Natsu, you are alike to my Dad and Goten in a lot of ways." Gohan said with a smirk, "One of those ways is that I'm stronger than they are."

"That's so, huh?" Natsu replied punching his fists together, "Let's see if we can find a difference then!"

Natsu charged at Gohan with a newfound ferocity. His attacks came wildly, and Gohan couldn't even guess as to what he would do next. Now, Gohan was relying on sheer speed and strength to resist Natsu's attacks. What had really surprised Gohan was when he finally countered Natsu's attacks. He caught the fire mage's punch with his left hand, then punched Natsu square in the jaw with his right. Instead of showing pain or being throw aside like before, Natsu just turned his head back to face Gohan. Gohan saw what appeared to be scales forming on Natsu's forehead, arms, and around his eyes, which began to take a reptilian shape.

Behind him, Gohan heard Gajeel yell, "Iron Dragon Scales!" and charge at him. Gohan jumped aside to dodge Gajeel, but was caught by surprise when Natsu yelled, "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!"

The swiping attack caught Gohan in the stomach, knocking him backwards. Gajeel changed his tactic as he saw Natsu's attack land. Still launching forward, he spun to add momentum to his attack.

"Iron Dragon Club!" Gajeel yelled as he swung his arm around to hit Gohan in the middle of the back. Gohan flew forward, past Natsu, until he caught his balance. He spun around and shot upward into the sky.

Gohan yelled wildly as he fired a vicious volley of ki blasts towards his opponents. Natsu and Gajeel could do nothing but turn around and cover their heads and Exceed partners from the blasts as yellow light rained from the sky.

Feeling satisfied that he did enough damage, Gohan stopped and watched the smoke clear. Before it could, however, Gohan saw ten kunai come flying in his direction. He quickly put up a yellow field of energy around himself, deflecting the kunai as they struck his ki field. The next thing to come flying out the smoke was Gajeel as he yelled, "Iron Dragon Spiral!"

Gohan had not seen or heard Natsu planning his next move because of the noise and smoke from the ki blasts. As Gohan had been firing his ki blast volley, Natsu had begun his next attack.

"The flames of my right hand, and the flames of my left… Put the two together… and THIS IS WHAT YOU GET!"

As soon as the blasts ceased, Natsu yelled, "Gajeel, now!"

It was then that Gajeel leaped out the smoke towards Gohan. Gajeel's spiral connected with Gohan's energy field, attempting to drill through. Gohan didn't allow him, however, and he converted his field into a beam of energy that sent Gajeel flying away.

"FIRE DRAGON BRILLIANT FLAME!"

Before Gohan could finish his attack on Gajeel, a massive orb of fire came flying at him. Gohan threw his hands in front of him to block the attack, and he was carried upwards by it.

"Happy! Now!"

"Aye, Sir!"

Gohan looked behind him to see Natsu. He was trapped!

"Fire Dragon Grip Strike!"

Flame erupted from Natsu's right palm as it made contact with Gohan's back. Gohan was swallowed by the flames and captured in a massive orb of fire.

"No way!" Trunks said nervous, "Gohan!"

He hoped Gohan wasn't hurt, he couldn't sense Gohan's ki anymore. _Unless… Uh oh!_

"Take cover everyone! NOW!" He yelled.

From inside the fire came a primal roar.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

There was a bright red flash of light, forcing all the spectators to shield their eyes. No one but Trunks foresaw the shockwave that struck them after the flash. He put up a ki field above the audience, and a second explosion occurred when Gohan's energy easily destroyed Trunks' barrier.

When the smoke cleared from around the viewers and they were all standing again, what they saw amazed them. Natsu and Happy were still floating where they were before the explosions, but Gohan was also still there, seemingly unharmed. Natsu and Happy couldn't believe it themselves, and they watched in silent awe as the last of Natsu's flames dissipated.

"You almost had me there." A red haired Gohan said as he smirked, "My transformation was only a last resort tactic."

"What are you?" Happy asked him, now completely scared.

"I am Son Gohan, a Super Saiyan God, and victory shall be mine!"

"I don't know what a 'Super Saiyan' is, I've beaten God slayers before!" Natsu replied as he saw Gajeel reappear in a forest clearing underneath him and Gohan, "What makes you think a God can beat me?!"

Gohan warped behind Natsu and said quietly, "This does."

Gohan grabbed Happy with his left hand and Natsu's neck with his right. He shot Happy away with a ki blast, causing Natsu to yell out for his friend in concern. At the same time Gajeel made another leaping attack, hoping to attack the opening in Gohan's guard. Unfortunately for Gajeel, Gohan heard him coming a mile away and used Natsu as a shield from Gajeel's iron club. Natsu grunted when Gajeel hit him in the gut.

Gajeel noticed Gohan disappeared, only to realize Gohan was underneath him and Natsu as they began to fall. He saw the fire fire in Gohan's bright red eyes. This was bad, and Gajeel knew it by that look.

"Kamehameha!"

Blue light enveloped Gajeel and Natsu as both were hit directly by Gohan's attack. They were carried upward a couple feet before Gohan appeared above them.

"Masenko-HA!"

Gohan's yellow blast collided with the blue Kamehameha, causing one of the largest explosions of the night. Gajeel and Natsu fell to the ground.

The only sound made after the explosion was Natsu and Gajeel's crash into the earth.

After a minute, Gohan appeared on the ground in front of them as the two began to stir.

"Ow." Was all that the two had to say about that. Groaning, the two dragon slayers very slowly stood up. Even then, they were slouching from exhaustion and pain.

"Still want to fight?" Gohan asked.

"Iron… dragon… scales…" Gajeel said weakly as Gohan walked up. The spectators stared in awe at the three fighters. Gohan met Gajeel's gaze, and they both smirked as Gohan grabbed Gajeel's feeble attempt of a punch.

"You're not too bad, bub." Gajeel said with a chuckle as he winced from Gohan's grip on his right fist.

Gohan said "Thanks," then casually headbutted Gajeel's iron forehead, shattering his scales and knocking him unconscious. Gohan turned his attention to a lightly laughing Natsu.

"Let's do this again, okay?" Natsu asked Gohan, "This was fun."

"Sure." Gohan said, still smiling as he punched Natsu in the gut to knock him out, "It definitely was fun."

Natsu grabbed his belly with both arms as he passed out, falling forward to lay face down in the dirt. After a moment, every one watching finally realized the fight was over.

Romeo ran over to the two dragon slayers before anyone else did, "Natsu!" he said nervously.

"They'll be okay." Gohan said, "Just like Lily, I gave them some energy to make sure they'll be alright. It'll just take some recovery time."

"Not if Wendy heals them!" Romeo said, "They'll be up in no time!"

Everyone turned to look where Wendy had been standing, but she wasn't there. Even Charle was caught by surprise, because Wendy had left without telling her.

"Where is Wendy?"


	5. Chapter 3 and a half

Hello, readers! I hope you like the story so far. Unfortunately for anyone that came to read something funny, I decided I wanted to write a more serious story, so that's what I've begun to do. I will still try to add comic relief though, so don't give up on me entirely! This mini-chapter and a foreword before the next chapter will hopefully change the direction properly and answer some of your concerns about the difference in strength of the main characters. Enjoy!

Chapter 3.5: The Universes

A man walked down a white marble road alone. There were no buildings anywhere in sight, nor plants, nor water, nor wind. The man knew in reality there was nothing to find; but for some reason he walked further down the road, looking for something. Anything. He walked like this for what seemed to be an hour. Something reflected a small patch of light, catching his attention. He thought this was strange, considering everything on this pure white surfaced gave off tons of light. Why did this spot have more light? Walking to inspect it, he saw the same thing as he always did.

There was a pool of silver water that materialized as he came close. He remembered this now, as the water became like glass. He looked into the mirror water to see his reflection. His gaunt face was pale, nearly as white as everything around him. His hair was mainly a near-black shade of blue with lighter streaks of blue randomly scattered about. He looked at his hands. The fingers were long and white, though proportional to his height since he was just over six feet tall. The dark blue and sharpened fingernails on his hands had strange light blue markings on them. Those marks had been there so long, not even he could remember what they meant, if they ever meant anything at all. _These aren't hands and nails, _he thought, _they're claws and talons._ He grabbed the back of his matching color cloak to examine it again; it also had mysterious light blue designs thrown here and there across it. The very front of the hood was lined with fangs, and the black chain across his neck that held it together was connected to each end of the cloak by black skull clasps. Underneath the cloak he wore a black shirt that stuck to his body, showing off every muscle. The shirt was a strange leathery yet flexible material he knew no one else could ever wear. His black pants were loose fitting and went all the way down to his heels, where his dark and light blue boots became visible. His belt was the same dark blue as the majority of his hair and cloak, with its buckle being gleaming black and squared. There were two light blue markings on the buckle, one of the above the other, that he actually did know the meaning of. _Mokushi,_ he read to himself.

As he did so, the water showed an image of fire and darkness. _I'm going to do this._ He said to himself as he watched. In the image, people ran for cover screaming, some holding children as a blue light enveloped them all. The image faded only showing his reflection again. His dark blue, reptilian shaped eyes showed no emotion after seeing such a terrifying vision. _I will make this so._ He declared as he turned around. Behind him, every surface had turned to black. Nothing gave off light there, and that made him smile. He hated the light. Always did. Turning back to the pool, he saw another image. A pink haired boy played with a massive red dragon. _Disgusting. _He couldn't imagine why anyone, let alone a dragon king, would ever lower himself to any mortal. He watched as the pink haired boy grew. He was about to dismiss the image until he saw the boy fighting atop Atlas Flame and Motherglare. He laughed when he saw the pink haired boy and his friends celebrate their victory. He frowned suddenly like he always did.

_They are too weak._ He concluded once again, _Even Natsu._

The pool changed again, showing a strange planet inhabited by green men. There, he saw one of the older men forge seven large orbs.

_What is this? _He asked himself, _My magic has never shown me this before._

The pool changed images again. This time it showed three small figures, one greened skin, one black-hair pale skinned, and one bald and slightly tanned. They stood in front of the orbs as a large green dragon appeared.

_I do not know this one's name._ He remarked in reference to the dragon; now he was intrigued.

The pool changed to show an image of a man coming back to life and standing back up. The hole in his clothing that came from the killing blow was still present. The image then changed to show another more slimmer dragon appear from smaller versions of the same orbs. That dragon also brought people back to life, but it also performed pettier "miracles".

_I see._ The man concluded, _So these two dragons are capable of doing almost anything?_

The images began changing rapidly, giving him a better understanding what he had seen. Looking up from the water, he noticed that the darkness had overwhelmed the light of his surroundings. He could only just see some remainder of white in the distance.

"The balance is off." A quiet voice said behind him, "The dark is too strong for the light."

"Do you think that bothers me, Zeref?" the man replied harshly.

"No." the black wizard replied as he walked up, "But I saw your face when you saw the mortal's destruction. You want someone to fight you. You want someone to win."

"Why would I want my own destruction?"

"Because you know you do not belong in this world." Zeref explained, "For that matter; you don't even belong here, in my heart."

"Is that what bothers you?" the man snickered, "Unfairness and unwelcome guests?"

"Yes." Zeref said,

"You'd be glad to see me destroyed, wouldn't you?"

"I would."

"How kind of you." the man retorted, "But why just me? What about Igneel, Grandeeney, or the others?"

"Those counterparts to my world do not interfere like you do. They try to distance themselves from everything as much as possible."

"It wasn't my choice to be brought to this world."

"None of you had a say in the matter, but it happened." Zeref informed him.

"What is he doing here?" a third voice demanded, this one large and booming.

"What?" the man replied jokingly to the newcomer, "You don't respect your brother?"

"You are not my brother." The third voice growled.

"No I'm not. I'm you." the man chuckled, "And you hate that because I have a mortal's body. Don't resent me for something I had no power over."

"I had power over what body I kept." The third voice boasted, "But I chose this one, for it is the strongest."

"Only by bathing in the blood of dragons did you become one." The man replied, "But I don't have any dragons to slay. Maybe I should kill you."

"You dare threaten me, Acnologia?" the dragon asked angrily.

"Yes. Acnologia dares to threaten Acnologia." The man replied, "I'm the strongest by far, and you fear me; way below that immense pride, you have fear. I've felt it."

"BE SILENT! OR I WILL DESTROY YOU BOTH!" Zeref shouted as their surrounding flashed a blinding white, then turned pitch black. He spoke again when he thought the point was driven home.

"Look at your surroundings." The black wizard said stretching out his arms, "The balance needs to be regained before fate can decide what is to happen to this world."

"I've found your way to do that already." The human Acnologia answered, "Look here."

Zeref looked into the pool and saw a large green dragon.

"Impressive." Zeref remarked.

"This is the first time I have seen something like this." The man explained, "Perhaps my magic wants me to restore your precious balance."

"What do you intend on doing?"

"I will be granted three wishes. With them, I will make all magic in your world stronger. The wizards will still be too weak for me, so I will have to have some other warrior brought here. The third wish shall make it so that no one will ever know what I have done, though I will fabricate a story to cause that warrior to eventually face me. All this should restore your precious balance."

"Very good." Zeref said, "Now go."

"As you wish." The human Acnologia said as the pool showed the wilds of the strange planet, "I will return momentarily."

The blue haired man stepped slowly into the pool, slowly sinking until he had fully disappeared with the pool.

"I know what you are about to say," Zeref told the dragon Acnologia, "But I will hear none of your complaints. It is about time that dragon slayers should actually be able to slay dragons."

"I have no complaints." The dragon replied before disappearing, "Those children will still not be able to defeat me, for I will become stronger in my own way."

Zeref stood waiting as he watched his surroundings shift. The light began to slowly push back the darkness. Looking down the marble road, Zeref saw that half of it was black and the other half was now white. _Good. _He thought as his image began to fade as his real body began to wake from his nap.

_Now I wait._


	6. Chapter 4

Hey guys and gals, it's me again. I'm going to take the time now to explain how strong some of the characters are now in the story.

Natsu with dragonforce = SSJ 1 Gotenks

Gildarts = SSJ 3 Gotenks

Makarov = Ultimate Gohan

Dragon Acnologia is currently equal to Makarov now, but has sworn to become stronger.

Happy = Krillin (joke)

As I said before, I'm going to start taking a more serious approach to this, so here goes. I hope you enjoy the read!

Chapter 4: Slayer and Saiyan

20 minutes earlier…

Gohan ascended into the air after his opponents agreed to fight in the sky. Wendy was amazed at Gohan's skill and speed, and she wondered if Goten or Trunks had the same kind of ability. Thinking of something funny from earlier, she giggled. Charle saw Wendy giggle, wondering what she could possibly be thinking about. Ignoring it, the white Exceed turned her attention back to the sky. If only she were watching Wendy for a moment longer…

She would have seen Goten come slinking through the crowd.

"Psst, Wendy!" Goten whispered, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Goten?" she said quietly back, wondering what he could want right now.

"Come with me." He said, "I wanna show you something."

"What? Right now?" Wendy asked going red as her mind went down the gutter, "What is it?"

"No time, come with me!" Goten replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her gently. For someone that gave off a clumsy/goofy vibe, Wendy noted he was very light handed. Sensing he wasn't going to give in, she decided to follow him, taking a last second glance at the fight. She happened to see Gohan transform into his Ultimate form. She felt the change in the air around Gohan and noticed the slight difference in his hair. With that, she turned to follow Goten into the nearby treeline.

"Where are we going, Goten?" Wendy asked as they traveled through a clearing.

"We're taking the long way so no one follows."

"That doesn't make me any less nervous about where I'm going, you know!" Wendy quipped.

Goten turned his head to her and asked, "What are you nervous about?"

Wendy tried to read Goten, but all his onyx eyes showed was the same happiness and light that shone earlier in the guild hall. After a moment, Wendy had been staring into his eyes while he waited for her answer. Turning red again, she told him nevermind and to lead on. Goten nodded and changed direction. Wendy noticed they were going towards Magnolia now. Goten turned to Wendy.

"We've got to hurry or we're going to miss it!" He declared suddenly.

Wendy was going to ask what they were going to miss; but Goten had literally swept her off her feet, now carrying her bridal style. Before she could protest, he shot into the air as fast as he could. When they got over the outskirts of the city, Wendy regained her composure.

"I can fly on my own, Goten! I use air magic." She said pushing herself out of his arms as she gathered air around herself in order to float next to him.

"I'm sorry," Goten apologized, "I didn't know."

"It's okay." Wendy replied, feeling bad when she saw Goten's honest sadness at upsetting her. She also admitted to herself that he probably could fly way faster and farther than she could.

The two quickly arrived at their destination, which was the roof of Kardia Cathedral. Goten led Wendy to a flat part of the roof that had a clear view of the fight. She also looked to see that Goten had brought up a massive fish, a table, two chairs, water, and some firewood. He even brought up a fork and knife for her. Some of the fish was already cooked and waiting for them.

"I like to eat fish with my hands, but I didn't know if you did or not; so I borrowed some stuff from that big building everyone was at." Goten said as he showed her his setup, "I know you probably wanted to watch the fight like I do, so I picked this side 'cause it had the best view."

"This is really great, Goten." Wendy said, blushing slightly, "But why set all this up?"

"I felt bad that I had ruined your dinner." Goten explained as he scratched the back of his neck, "And when I heard you couldn't afford to get another, I decided to get you something to eat."

"You heard that?" Wendy asked him with a hint of surprise, "But you were nowhere near me, right?"

"I'm a Saiyan," Goten informed her with an air of pride, "All my senses are better than most."

"What's a Saiyan?" Wendy asked.

"It's a long story," Goten said, "But I'm actually half-Saiyan. I'll explain later. But come on, let's watch the fight and eat!"

Wendy nodded with a smile and sat down next to Goten.

"Amazing!" Wendy said because Gohan had just put on his light show; and from this height, she actually had a better view of the fight than before leaving with Goten. She looked down at her plate and noticed the fish was surprisingly well cooked. She was having trouble seeing what she was doing though. Seemingly sensing Wendy's dilemma, Goten got Wendy's attention again.

"Here we go." He said cheerily as a small bright blue orb appeared above the palm of his left hand. He let the orb float above the table, using it as a candle light. They continued to eat and watch the fight that ensued in the sky. Wendy turned to look at Goten and noticed he wasn't paying too much attention to the fight.

"You're not watching the fight?" She asked him.

"I am." Goten answered, "But this fish is too good."

"Aren't you worried about your brother, though?" Wendy asked, "You've seen how strong Natsu is after all. And he's fighting Gajeel too."

"Natsu may be strong, but Gohan's on a whole other level." Goten explained, "Trunks and Me kept up with Natsu and we weren't even going full on. Gohan's way stronger than me and Trunks combined, and that's without him being serious."

"Really?" She asked as she looked back towards the fight.

"You bet!" Goten said cheerily, "I've only seen Gohan serious once or twice. Each time it's really scary. Even if you're on his side."

"Sounds like he's strong like Erza." Wendy said, still underestimating Gohan.

"Look!" Goten exclaimed as he saw the blue light that Gohan formed between his hands.

Wendy saw the light, but she hadn't a clue what it meant until she saw what would unfold. She watched as Natsu and Gajeel combined roars while Gohan released a brilliant blue beam of light.

"The Kamehameha!" Goten cheered as the two teens watched the attacks collide. A bright blue and orange explosion illuminated the sky, and a light breeze blew by them.

Wendy stared, speechless at the power and beauty of the explosion. Goten was grinning as he watched Wendy's reaction. It fascinated Wendy that a destructive power like Gohan and Goten's also had a gentle and pretty side. She thought back to how soft Goten's hand was with a slight blush as she did. You'd think that someone who'd spend his time fighting would at least have toughened skin like Natsu or Gajeel, but Goten didn't; and he certainly wasn't lying about his skill or his brother's. She looked at that blue orb of light floating above the table and slowly reached for it.

Goten watched her as she reached for the ki sphere. He saw her hesitate to touch it, so he gently guided it into her hand. It was a strange sensation, Wendy thought. The orb was cool to the touch, but she could also feel a warmth coming from it.

"Goten?" she started.

"Yeah?"

"If this isn't magic; and you aren't a wizard, how can you do things like this?"

"That's easy." Goten explained, "It's called ki, and anyone can use it if they learn how to."

"Really?" she said looking at Goten.

"Sure." He replied, "Ki is inside everyone. It's both a fighting energy and a life force. Right now, a part of me is in your hands."

Wendy blushed, "That sounds kinda romantic."

After a moment Wendy spoke up.

"So, even I have this energy inside me?"

"Yup. I can feel your ki right now, and it's actually surprisingly strong for someone that doesn't even know it exists."

Wendy felt an odd sense of pride upon hearing that. She doesn't usually think of herself as strong.

"I guess your magic training made your ki slightly stronger, too." Goten said, "But I don't know enough about either to say if they're connected."

"Do you think you could teach me?" Wendy asked, "Seeing how strong your brother and you are, it'd be awesome to have that kind of strength!"

"Maybe, but isn't your magic strong enough?" Goten asked, "You are a dragon slayer, right?"

"How did you know that?" Wendy asked, not remembering if she told him that or not.

"Well…" Goten said as he turned red and scratched the back of his neck, "I kinda asked that white haired lady about you."

"You asked Mira about me?" Wendy replied curiously, "Why?"

"I don't know," Goten answered with an ever present red tint, "I guess I wanted to know more about you for some reason."

The two were so busy talking to each other, they didn't notice two of the fighters falling out of the sky.

"You're adorable when you're embarrassed, Goten." Wendy said with a gentle smile, only causing him to blush more. Wendy noticed the blue orb flickered in her hand when she said that. She brought her left hand out and held the orb with both her hands. Now that she thought about it, holding that orb felt like holding Goten's hand in a way.

"Promise me you'll teach me how to use ki, Goten." Wendy said, suddenly sure she wanted to learn.

"I don't know if I'll be around long enough t-" Goten started to reply, but Wendy interrupted him by moving her right hand to hold his left hand that was resting on the table.

"Please, Goten." Wendy pleaded looking into his eyes, "Promise me you will."

Goten moved his right hand to hold her hand with both of his, guiding it back to where she held the ki sphere. He put both his hands over the orb and slowly lowered his hands, grabbing both her hands. Wendy watched as the light shined out from between their fingers. She only barely noticed the hail of yellow light Gohan rained onto his opponents below.

"I promise. Now let's enjoy the fireworks, okay?"

Wendy smiled gleefully, "Okay!"

Back on the Supreme Kai Planet…

Vegeta paced back and forth, waiting for Goku to return. _I feel useless!_ He thought as he kicked a nearby boulder to rubble, _Kakarot's using his instant transmission to gather all the Dragon Balls, but I'm stuck here entertaining a senile deity and another one that's weaker than me!_

"V-Vegeta!" Supreme Kai stuttered, "Be careful!"

"I could do much worse!" Vegeta snapped back, "If you were so '_Supreme_' you could stop me yourself! Instead you beg me to not to break your '_Supreme'_ planet! Bah!"

"Patience is a virtu-" Old Kai started, but was interrupted by Vegeta.

"You think my wife is going to be patient when she discovers her son has gone missing?! I'd be better off staying here on this useless chunk of rock! I'm pretty sure I'll just end up right back here with a golden ring above my head anyway!"

"Are you scared of your wife, Vegeta?" Supreme Kai foolishly asked.

"I'll give you three seconds." Vegeta said in response.

Supreme Kai's face showed confusion.

"Three…" Vegeta's hair flashed to gold.

Now Supreme Kai's face showed fear and realization.

"Two…"

"You better run, boy!" Old Kai told his descendant, who was slow to start.

"You're next, old timer!" Vegeta threatened, making Old Kai duck for cover, "One!"

"FINAL-"

"Easy there, Vegeta!" Goku called out as he appeared behind the Saiyan Prince.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta replied, "Do we have all of them finally?!"

"Nope, there's just one more to go! But I need your help."

"What? Why?! Do you know where it is?!"

"Yep. That's why I need your help."

"What place is so dangerous or scary that not even the 'great' Kakarot could go there alone?!"

"It's at your house."

Vegeta slumped to the ground, feeling more than hopeless now.


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Members?

Red haired Gohan sat cross legged in the grass, deciding now was a decent time to meditate. He saw a few things during his fight that he wanted to review in his head. Trunks was going to run up and congratulate Gohan, but he saw a certain look in Gohan's eyes that told him he had better not. Most of the spectators left with Erza, who was carrying both Gajeel and Natsu back to Fairy Tail. A small group remained to watch Gohan meditate, still not believing the display they just saw.

"Errr… What a hit…" Lily groaned as he struggled to stay standing, rubbing the top of his head. Erza had offered to bring him back, but Lily insisted he was fine and would return to the guild hall soon.

"There's not even a scratch on him!" Lucy exclaimed.

"No," Mirajane's brother Elfman replied, "He took a couple strong hits. He just took them on the chin like a real man!"

Trunks gave Elfman a funny look.

"What?" the muscle bound body-changer asked, seeing the look Trunks gave him, "What's that look for?"

"Nothing." Trunks said, "It's weird, but you sound a little like my Dad."

"Well, that isn't awkward." Loke joked as he alerted everyone to his presence, "And before you ask, I was here since the start of the fight."

"That looked just like a fight against Gildarts." Mira said as she watched Gohan start to float a few feet off the ground, "And Gohan's behaving kind of like Gildarts does after fighting Natsu."

"Who's this Gildarts?" Trunks asked.

"He's the strongest wizard in our guild." A white haired, blue-eyed girl in a blue sweater and white shorts answered, "Except for Master Makarov of course. He and Gildarts are going to regret being out of town when they hear about everything that happened today."

Trunks looked at the girl, suddenly entranced for some reason.

"My name's Lisanna by the way," the girl said walking closer to Trunks, "It's nice to meet you! You're name's Trunks right?"

Trunks nervously nodded, 'Uh-uh huh."

"You're hair's really cute, you know that?" Lisanna added. Trunks blinked at her a few times, then passed out.

"Oh dear!" she said as Trunks hit the ground, "Was it something I did?"

"Look at my little sis!" Elfman bragged, "Just her killer looks can knock men out like a real man!"

"I'm not a man, big brother Elf," Lisanna replied with pink cheeks, "But thanks. We should probably get him back to Fairy Tail with Lily."

Elfman and Mira agreed with her; but Gohan spoke up, "Leave him here with me please. I need to talk with him."

The two nodded and turned to leave with Lily, but Lisanna did not.

"I'm going to stay here and make sure he's alright, if that's okay with you, Gohan." Lisanna said.

Gohan nodded and resumed meditating.

"Aren't we forgetting to go look for Wendy and Happy?" Charle demanded.

"Happy is already flying back here." Gohan replied quietly, "And Wendy's already back at the guild hall. Not meaning to be rude, but I've got a lot to think over right now. Today's been a bit weird for me."

"That's completely understandable." Lucy remarked, "That was how I felt the first weeks after I joined Fairy Tail."

Gohan smirked in response, "You should probably go check on Natsu, Lucy. I think I hit him a bit harder than I meant to. Pan, come and meditate with me."

Lucy nodded and turned to leave with Loke and Charle as Pan walked over to her father. Loke closed his gate, leaving Lucy and Charle to talk on their way back.

Everyone know having left the three Saiyans except Lisanna, the surrounding area was quiet but for the light breeze that blew by. The white haired wizard sat down next to Trunks' right side and put her left hand on his right. Lisanna watched as Pan sat cross legged next to her Dad, but she didn't levitate like he did. She figured Pan hadn't learned how to fly yet.

"It's called Sky Dancing." Gohan said, startling Lisanna.

"You can read minds?" Lisanna asked.

"Not always, I'm still learning how." Gohan answered, "One must be absolutely silent in order to hear the thoughts of others. My father's old master once said that minds are like books: it's easy to read them if you know how; but I haven't got there yet."

"That master must be a very wise man in order to be able to do that." She concluded aloud. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"Though he can be an old perv at times," Gohan said with a smirk, "He is very smart."

"Like Master Makarov, I bet." Lisanna half-joked with a smirk.

"I'm actually glad you're here, Lisanna." Gohan said, "I need someone to practice my telepathy with, if you wouldn't mind."

"But I don't have telepathy magic," Lisanna answered, "I could get Warren over here-"

"You'll do fine." Gohan replied, "It's actually better that you don't know how, anyway. That makes it harder for me, and the training better. I'm going to try to tell you a little bit about Trunks. Close your eyes and tell me what you see."

"Okay, but why Trunks?"

"Because you find him attractive." Gohan replied bluntly, making Lisanna's face go red, "Now close your eyes and empty your mind."

After about a minute, Lisanna started to see an image of Trunks in some kind of skin tight body armor- _Saiyan battle armor- _she now learned. He was in a round, white-walled room with a column in the middle; and he was sparring with a spiky haired man that was wearing a similar outfit –_Vegeta, Trunks' father. _Lisanna realized that Gohan was giving her these side notes as she watched Trunks fight. Her sight focused on the column momentarily to read 100G -_100 times the planet's gravity. _Amazed, she opened her eyes to look down at Trunks' sleeping face. She wondered how someone so small could even stay alive under such force, not totally believing what she had seen; but she believed what she had felt.

Closing her eyes again, she saw as Gohan showed her the history of the Saiyans and Trunks' lineage. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw what Gohan imagined the destruction of Planet Vegeta looked like. She then watched Trunks' father turn into a giant ape until his tail was cut off, then she saw a baby Trunks being held by a pretty blue haired woman –_his mother, Bulma._ She then cried again when she watched as Vegeta sacrificed himself to save Trunks and his friends –_as I imagine it looked._ She became sadder when she watched as Goten and Trunks failed to defeat an ugly pink creature –_Majin Buu._ But she was in awe when she saw a long, towering, green dragon –_Shenron-_ rise from seven orange glowing orbs –_the Dragon Balls._ She then had tears of joy when she saw Trunks' reunion with his father, who had magically come back to life. The next thing she saw was how Gohan, Trunks, Goten, and Pan ended up in Natsu's house. At that moment, she felt confusion.

_That's my confusion you're feeling._ Gohan told her, _I don't even fully understand how we ended up here._

_It seems like your teleporting went wrong when Gotenks grabbed you._ Lisanna answered

_But did you see what I saw as well? _Gohan asked as he replayed the memory in their heads, _That flash of blue?_

_I see it now. _Lisanna replied, _What is it?_

_I don't know, _Gohan said, _But I get the feeling that's the true reason I'm here._ _And I think that intimidation you feel is the correct emotion to have in response. I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone anything what I just showed you except for my abilities. It's not like I'm able to hide those._

_I promise, but why tell me in the first place?_

_Because I need someone that isn't trusting me blindly here, and so that I feel better when the fact that I'm hiding things from friends starts to bother me. So please, Lisanna, keep this secret with me._

They heard Trunks begin to stir, and they both opened their eyes. Gohan stretched his legs and slowly lowered himself onto them. Lisanna leaned over Trunks, watching as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you okay, Trunks?" She asked him.

Trunks went bright red when he saw that Lisanna was leaning over him.

"Y-y-yeah… I guess…" He stuttered as he looked into her eyes and sat up.

"Good." She said, unconsciously squeezing his hand lightly. When they both realized they were still holding hands, Lisanna released his hand and turned away as Trunks quickly turned aside; both trying to avoid showing their embarrassment. Gohan chuckled as he and Pan watched the two. Gohan's hair and eyes changed back to their normal color.

"What's so funny?!" Trunks demanded.

"Oh, nothing." Gohan answered with a smirk.

"He looooves you!" Happy said to Lisanna as he made his presence known to the group.

"I do not, you cat!" Trunks insisted with even redder cheeks.

"Suuuuure!" Happy taunted, "I guess your face is just red from all that sunburn you got in this bright moonlight."

"You want another beating, furball?!" Trunks argued, "I won't be as gentle as Gohan!"

Happy pulled down his lower right eyelid and stuck his tongue out in response. Trunks wanted to lunge at Happy, but Gohan caught his attention.

"Trunks, we have some important things to discuss, and it's getting late." Gohan said putting two fingers to his forehead, "Wait here with Pan while I bring Lisanna and Happy back to the guild. Lisanna, Happy, grab my arm."

Not really knowing what to expect, the two complied. Lisanna guessed this was Gohan's teleporting ability. The next moment, the three had vanished.

Back on Supreme Kai's Planet:

Vegeta wiped the sweat off his brow, now that he and Goku had finally secured the last Dragon Ball. When he took the ball from Bulma, he had given her some paper-thin excuse about needing to ask Shenron about Saiyan God form. His wife had put her free hand on her hip while she held Bra in her other arm, doubting she was getting the full story. When Vegeta had left, she picked up her phone and called Chi Chi and Videl, wondering if the boys were planning something.

Vegeta quickly darted out of the room and then entirely out of Capsule Corporation, not feeling ready for an interrogation. He quickly grabbed Goku's shoulder and the two had reappeared where they were currently standing.

"Alright!" Goku declared as he placed the seventh orb next to the others, "I guess it's time to find out where our kids went. Come on out, Shenron! We need your help!"

The sky went dark as the green dragon appeared from a yellow streak of lightning that wrapped around itself as it had climbed upward.

"You again?" The dragon asked instead of his usual "You who summoned me" routine.

"Aww, come on, big guy!" Goku replied, "After as many times as we've met, you'd think I'd get a friendlier hello than that!"

"Speak your two wishes!" Shenron demanded, "I grow weary of this."

"We will, but we need to ask you something first that's related to our wishes!" Goku answered.

"Rrrr… What do you want to know?"

"Do you know where my sons Gohan and Goten went, or my granddaughter Pan, or Trunks?"

"Hmmmm…" the dragon hummed as he searched for them, "Yes, but they are no longer in this universe."

"Wh-What?!" Vegeta stammered, "How'd they end up in another universe?!"

"They were brought there by Porunga it seems." Shenron explained.

"The Namek dragon?" Vegeta asked, "Why?"

"It was by accident that they were sent." The dragon unknowingly lied, "Your children were on New Namek when the wish was made to send the strongest warrior on the planet to fight in the world they were sent to."

"So Gohan's destination was only messed up by Gotenks?" Goku asked, "And Pan and Gotenks got carried along for the ride?"

"That is… correct." Shenron answered, though he admitted to himself something felt entirely wrong about what he was saying for some reason.

"Why were the Namekians even sending a warrior to a different universe in the first place?" Goku asked.

"An elder had a vision of a world being destroyed by darkness and fire, but he didn't know which world it was. He asked Porunga to identify the world for him; and after consideration, the elders on New Namek decided to send their finest warrior to aid that world, called Earthland. They could not stand watching as another planet was destroyed. It is a fate they wish for no one else."

"Imagine their confusion when that fighter didn't go anywhere." Vegeta joked.

"Why didn't they just undo their mistake with the other two wishes?" Goku asked.

"The third wish was to send the warrior. The first was to know everything about this unknown world, and the second was to grant their warrior the power to fight the enemy of that world."

"This IS amusing." Vegeta said, "But, can we solve OUR dilemma, Kakarot?"

"We can't just pull them from that world now that we know why they're there." Goku responded.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Vegeta demanded.

"Shenron, can you open a path between Earth and Earthland?" Goku asked, "One that we could use to travel instantly back and forth whenever we want?"

"What you ask is difficult, but yes."

"Okay, then our first wish is for you to make that doorway just outside my house." Goku said.

"As you wish." Shenron said as his eyes glowed. After a minute, he spoke again, "What is your second wish?"

"Can you explain what's happening to our families and friends?" Goku asked, "I don't want to be murdered by Chi Chi just yet."

Shenron's eyes glowed again. "It is done, though they already were suspicious. I suggest you wait before returning to Earth, however. They are not pleased with you."

"Thanks, I guess." Goku said weakly as he scratched the back of his neck. Shenron disappeared as the Dragon Balls flew into the sky and headed back to Earth.

The two Saiyans didn't know that an image of certain blue-haired man was watching them from afar.

_Excellent, _Acnologia thought with a grin,_ Everything is going according to plan. Now I prepare and wait for the greatest fight of my life._

On Earthland:

"Natsu!" Happy said as soon as they materialized; causing Lucy, Wendy, and Charle to jump a foot in surprise.

"Hey…" Happy said suddenly as he floated just to the left of Natsu, facing Lucy, "You weren't holding his hand, were you, Lucy?"

"Keep it up, cat!" Lucy replied with a red-tinted face, that's when a pink haired, blue eyed maid chimed in.

"She was." Virgo added, "She looooooves him!"

"Gate of the Maiden, Close!"

Virgo quickly disappeared in golden light. Whether Lucy had sent her back or she left herself, Lucy didn't know. What she did know is to never let her spirits around Happy for an extended period of time.

"How did-" Charle was about to ask, but Lisanna explained before she could finish asking.

"Gohan can teleport." She said, "Well, it's called instant transmission, but the results are the same. He can also read minds too."

"Really?" Lucy said nervously for some reason.

"I can't do it whenever I want." Gohan answered, "Right now I have to be meditating in order to. That's why I asked for everyone to leave. I didn't want to accidentally hear everyone's thoughts."

Lucy eased up, "So you're really strong, can read minds, and teleport. What else can you do?"

Gohan scratched the back of his neck and decided not to answer that question. Changing the subject, he turned to the Sky Dragon slayer.

"How was dinner, Wendy?" Gohan asked her, almost making her to want to hide from embarrassment.

"Oh, uh… um…" Wendy said as she turned pink and felt everyone's eyes on her, "It was really good."

"Dinner?" Charle thought aloud before asking Wendy, "What is he talking about?"

"Hey, yeah…" Lucy said, "You did disappear during the fight. You went and got food?"

"Does anyone know where my brother is?" Gohan asked, interrupting the start of an interrogation.

Wendy thought it was funny he asked, knowing that he knew exactly where Goten was.

"Don't you already kn-" She started to ask before Gohan gave her a look and asked, "I'm going to guess he's by the bar?"

Catching on, Wendy answered and nodded, "I think I saw him talking to Mira about the fight."_ Or me, _She thought,_ Mira loves instigating that kinda stuff._

Goten sat at the bar, eating some of the last bits of fish that he had cooked. He was wearing a grin, and only three people could really guess why that was. Mira came up and asked if she could have some. Goten nodded. Mira ripped a piece off Goten's plate and tried it.

"Wow. This is really good." Mira said, "It might be better than my fire cooked fish."

"Thanks." Goten said.

"I bet Wendy really liked it." Mira added bluntly, "It's not often the guy cooks for their girl around here. She's pretty lucky if you ask me."

Goten turned slightly red and shifted his gaze into his plate, but he still answered, "She's not my 'girl', but she did like it. Thank you."

"You're too polite, Goten."

"As he should be." Gohan added as he walked down the small set of steps on the left of the bar, "Come on, bro. We have things we need to talk about."

Goten nodded and left the rest of his fish for Mira if she wanted it. Mira said she had two rooms waiting for them, free of charge for tonight, if they needed a place to stay. After that they'd probably need to pay rent. Gohan thanked Mira and then the two Saiyans vanished as soon as Goten grabbed his brother's arm.

"Oh my." Mira said as she played with the fish, "Those boys are really something."

Pan was busy poking Trunks' forehead, asking him about Lisanna, and asking him why his face was red while he did his best to ignore her. He couldn't have been more relieved when Gohan and Goten appeared in front of him. The three sat in the grass and talked over their situation, trying to piece together their arrival to Fiore.

"I know we're not on Earth or any planet in our solar system. Heck, we may have ended up in a different galaxy. We are definitely too far away to find anyone's ki." Gohan said, "But we do have to find a way back, and soon."

Goten squirmed upon hearing that, but he knew Gohan was right. Almost to assure Goten, he thought aloud, "Of course, it could take us quite a while before we find a way back. We may need Fairy Tail's help in order to get back."

"We could make it a job request… I was told that's what people do when they need the guild's help." Trunks said, "But we'd need to have a reward for them."

"We could teach them some of our skills." Goten replied, thinking of one person in particular.

Only Gohan noticed the momentary feeling of another presence nearby. He smirked upon realizing who it was; but he kept that knowledge to himself, wondering why their guest didn't want to reveal themselves yet and how they got there. Goten thought his brother was smirking at him.

"What's so funny?" He asked, half way demanding.

"It's nothing." Gohan said, "Anyway, I'm not too sure we should go around influencing this world in such a way. It'd probably be better if we just paid them for it. But to do that, we'd need money. Either way, we need to pay them back for the food, housing, and kindness that they've given us today."

"But we'd need money from here in order to do that." Trunks replied.

"Precisely." Gohan began but Goten finished his sentence, "Which means that-"

"We're going to join Fairy Tail?!"


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A New Cause

The four Saiyans returned to the guild hall, finding only Mira, Levy, Lily, Lucy, and Happy in the entire building. Mira had been cleaning up the bar while the other girls and Exceeds had stayed by Gajeel and Natsu's sides. Lily and Happy were sleeping while Levy and Lucy chatted about this and that, and about the two knocked out dragon slayers. When the four appeared in the bar next to Mira, she jumped with a yelp.

"I'm sorry." She said after Lucy and Levy came running in to see what was wrong, "I don't usually have people just appearing around me like that very often."

"We understand." Gohan said with a smile, "We still startle our friends back home sometimes."

"Did you come back for those rooms I offered?" Mira asked.

"Yes." Gohan answered, "But we also need something else."

"Oh?" Mira asked as Lucy and Levy watched.

"I was thinking Fairy Tail's mark would look good on me."

Lucy and Levy looked at each other with nervous excitement. Three incredibly strong warriors were joining overnight; and after watching Gohan fight Natsu and Gajeel, they couldn't wait to tell everyone the news.

Gohan asked Mira to put his guild mark on his left pectoral, making Lucy and Levy blush when he quickly took off his gi top.

Mirajane left the room for a moment and came back with the stamp that is used to make the guild mark. She came up to him and put it on his chest, slowly lifting it up a moment later. His mark was bright red, matching the color of his eyes when he would turn to his God form.

"Oooh, pretty!" Pan cheered as she watched Mira and her father.

Goten lifted his right sleeve up next, asking Mira to give him a bright blue mark at the top of his arm. Mira smiled, knowing why he picked that color and place, and gave him his mark.

"Don't tell Wendy I joined, please." Goten asked everyone in the room, "I want to tell her myself."

Lucy just now figured out where Wendy was during the fight, and she giggled. She and everyone else in the room agreed to Goten's wish.

"And where do you want your mark, little lady killer?" Mira asked Trunks.

"I want one right on my back and in the color of my hair." Trunks answered, slightly red as he took off his gi top and turned around. Mira lightly pushed the stamp into the middle of his lower back and added the mark. With that being done, Gohan and Trunks put their shirts back on. Everyone followed Gohan as he went to check on Natsu and Gajeel.

"Wendy healed them," Lucy explained, "But they were so worn out, they still haven't woken up yet. We figure they'll be getting up slowly in the morning. You really did a number on them."

"Gohan was holding back." Trunks remarked.

"Really?" Levy asked in surprise.

"Trunks is right." Gohan replied, "The only reason I used my God power was to save the only pair of clothes I have right now. I could have beaten them in a minute if I wanted to, but that wouldn't have been fun."

"God power?" Lucy repeated somewhat timidly, "You don't say…"

Gohan laughed weakly and scratched his neck in response before he turned to Mira, "Where would these rooms be located exactly?"

"At the boy's housing building, Fairy Fields." Mira answered, "It's not too far from the girl's building in fact. Just talk to Gray when you get there, I asked him to arrange the rooms for you."

Gohan detected Gray's ki and focused on it, glad to see he was starting to familiarize himself with the guild members.

"Papa?" Pan chirped.

"Yes, Pan?"

"Can I stay with Lu-chan?" she asked, making Lucy smile.

"If Lucy's okay with that, sure." Gohan answered after a moment of thought, "I trust her."

"I don't mind." Lucy said, "It'd be nice to have some company besides my regular breaking-and-entering friends."

Pan cheered and ran over to grab Lucy's hand.

Gohan, Goten, and Trunks said goodnight and disappeared the next moment.

"Hey, Mira?" Lucy asked, seeing her chance for some payback.

"What's up, Lucy?"

"I saw your face when Gohan took his shirt off. I bet you wished you could make the guild mark by hand for him, huh?

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mira said with a blush.

The three demi-Saiyans reappeared in Gray's room, causing the shirtless ice mage to jump.

"H-Hi." He greeted the three as he regained his composure, "You must be here for the rooms Mira told me to set for you."

"We are." Gohan answered.

"You're water lady's boyfriend, right?" Goten asked.

"No, I'm not!" Gray replied quickly as his face slightly reddened, "Juvia just wishes I was."

"Oh, okay." Goten said.

"Come on," Gray started, "It's late, so I'll give you a quick tour of the essentials."

He guided them down the hall and led them to the lobby. "This is the main entrance." He said as the three Saiyans looked around, "Just in case you ever feel like using doors instead of teleporting that is."

Gohan chuckled as Gray moved to lead them to another area.

"This is the public bathroom." The ice mage said, "That's self-explanatory. I'd recommend using that bath. I think the water in it has some kind of healing ability the private baths in the rooms don't have, but I couldn't say for sure."

"Interesting." Gohan said as Goten put his hand in the water to investigate. Gohan noticed that Gray was now standing in just his boxers, but didn't say anything already having been told about the strange habit.

"I don't know if you need it or not though," Gray half-joked, "Since it seems you beat Natsu and Gajeel with barely a scratch."

"They were pretty good fighters." Gohan remarked. "I only slightly underestimated them though."

"Just remind me to never piss you off." Gray concluded as they walked past a couple of rooms. Stopping at the end of the hallway, Gray turned to the three.

"These are your two rooms." He said, pointing to one door on the left side of the hall and another on the right, "The rooms are fully furnished, and we put two beds in the room on the left. There's also an extra set of clean clothes for each of you in the dressers if you want them. I'll leave you to figure out who's staying with who. If you need anything, just come to me or Elfman. We are just down the hall, and his room is across from mine."

"Thank you, Gray." Gohan said politely.

"You're name's Gohan, right?" Gray asked, getting a nod in response.

"I'm Goten!" the teen demi-Saiyan said proudly.

"And I'm Trunks!" the lavender haired boy said, "I'm the brains of the group."

"Clearly." Gray replied with a chuckle as he turned away, remembering that Trunks was the one that started the fight with Natsu in the first place, "Good night."

"Hey!" Trunks stammered as Gray walked away, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

After Gray closed the door to his room, Goten and Trunks took the room on the left. Gohan told them to wash up and get some sleep as he closed the door to his room. Gohan enjoyed the feeling of finally taking off his boots after sitting down on the green couch that was against the right side of the room when he walked in. His feet were getting sore after the long day he'd had, and he relished the couple of minutes he took to rest his feet. Realizing how bad he smelled, he decided he should probably wash up. He stripped off his gi top and threw it aside. He climbed out his pants and tossed them into the same corner as his shirt. He wandered into the bathroom.

Gohan stood in the mirror and looked over his naked body. He glanced at his forearm which had a small cut from where Gajeel clipped him. On his left side, there was a light bruise the size of an apple from where Natsu had punched him. There wasn't a bruise from Natsu's hit to his stomach, but he did see one shaped as a line on his lower back from Gajeel. His transformation probably spared his upper back from bruising when Natsu caught him by surprise and tried to trap him in flame.

_This is what I get for relaxing my guard the entire fight. If I hadn't been more worried about them getting hurt, they wouldn't have touched me. Oh, well, no big deal. Maybe I should see if that bath does have a healing ability._ He thought as he wrapped a towel around himself.

Walking out his room, he heard Goten and Trunks talking to each other, but he didn't hang around the door to try to hear what they were talking about. He walked down the hall and made for the bath.

A few minutes earlier, Goten had finished his shower and hopped out. He stopped in front of the mirror to look at his guild mark. He couldn't wait to show it to Wendy. Playing the day back in his mind brought a smile to his lips. Done admiring the mark, he walked out the bathroom and back for his bed, drying his hair with his towel and smiling the entire time.

"What are you grinning about?" Trunks asked as he stripped, getting ready to take his shower now.

"Oh, nothing, really." Goten said cheerily as he dug through on of the dressers to pull out a white t-shirt and boxers.

"I'm just thinking of all the friends we made today." Goten said as he slipped on the boxers and then the shirt.

"Friends? Or just one friend in particular?" Trunks responded bluntly.

"You know not to use fancy words around me, Trunks," Goten replied, "I don't know what 'particular' means."

"Don't play dumb to avoid the question!" Trunks laughed, "I know you're smarter than you look. You've got a crush on that girl, and I can tell."

"No, I don't; she's my friend." Goten argued, "But what about you?"

"What about me?" Trunks asked.

"Mira told me you passed out when her sister said your hair was cute!"

"She told you that?!" Trunks gasped, going red and dropping his clothes on the floor.

Goten laughed at Trunks' expression. It wasn't often that Trunks was on the receiving end of the humor.

"Whatever." Trunks said dismissively, "Can you throw me some clothes?"

Goten nodded and turned to grab a shirt and boxers for Trunks.

"What do you think we're gonna do tomorrow?" Goten asked as he found another shirt and lobbed it backwards.

"By the way Gohan was talking," Trunks said as he caught the shirt, "I think we're going to be getting right to work."

Goten found the other boxers and threw them at Trunks, "I hope we get to team up with some of the others in Fairy Tail."

"Some? Or just one?" Trunks teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Goten insisted.

"Sure." Trunks said sarcastically as he walked into the bathroom with a smug expression on his face.

Goten climbed into bed and patted down his pillow. Pulling the sheets up over his shoulder, he turned on his side to face the left wall away from Trunks bed. Closing his eyes with a smile, he did hope he'd get to work with one particular person tomorrow.

Gohan climbed out the bath feeling refreshed, he checked his arm and saw the cut he had had disappeared. _Well, what do you know?_ He thought as he also checked his left side, _Yep, gone too._ He wrapped his towel around himself again and headed for his room. Closing the door, he felt a presence in the room with him.

"So you've finally stopped masking your energy. I was a little surprised Goten and Trunks didn't sense you earlier." Gohan said as he turned to face his wife, who was sitting on the end of the bed. She was wearing the same red dress that she had on when Gohan found out he was going to be a father.

"You may not have ever seen me again, and that's the greeting I get?"

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't angry at me first, dear." Gohan started.

"The only people I'm mad at are Vegeta and Goku for thinking I couldn't notice your disappearance the moment it happened. It was their plan to open the path here and go themselves, but I got the drop on them with Chi-Chi and Bulma. I insisted I'd go, so here I am." Videl informed him, "Besides, I know it wasn't your fault you ended up here."

"Oh?" Gohan asked, "You do?"

"Yup." She said with a grin, "Because I know how and why you're here. And I might tell you if come a little closer."

"A reward with a reward?" Gohan replied with a grin as he stepped towards her, "This is definitely not what I was expecting."

He tied his towel and then cupped Videl's face with both hands before saying seriously, "I was scared I'd never see you again."

"I'm here, though, aren't I?" She whispered before leaning on her toes to meet her lips with his.

After a moment, Gohan pulled away from her to speak. Holding her always woke feelings in him that still surprised even himself.

"Pan's with a babysitter, dear." Gohan joked, now wanting her badly as his instincts kicked in, "What shall we do with this alone time?"

"Where does a nerd like you ever get these thoughts?" Videl replied sarcastically.

"I don't know." Gohan replied with a smile as he brushed his lips against hers, "I guess you're just that bad of an influence."

Videl smirked before she pulled away Gohan's towel and spun around with him so she could shove him backwards onto the bed.

Trunks lay in bed, trying to get some sleep; but the sudden appearance of Videl's ki surprised him. He almost woke Goten to tell him about it, but he felt a change in her and Gohan's energy. It felt like his mother and father's kis when he once saw them… _Gross! Gohan! _With that, Trunks decided to force all his senses shut and go to sleep.

Goten was the first to wake up. Drowsily climbing out of bed, Goten walked into the bathroom and turned on the sink. He splashed his face with some cold water to wake up and then walked back out to pick up his dirty clothes from yesterday. Deciding he should get these washed, he carried them as he walked out the room and down the hall. He happened to meet Juvia as she quietly closed the door to Gray's room.

"Hello, Miss Water Lady!" Goten said, cheerily, making Juvia jump.

"H-Hello!" she replied embarrassed.

"I thought this was the boy's house." Goten stated.

"It is." Juvia answered.

"Did you spend the night with your boyfriend?" the he asked innocently.

Juvia's eyes lit up as her imagination ran wild until she realized she had been given a rather embarrassing question.

"Juvia did not." She said dejectedly as she came back to reality.

"Then why were you in Gray's room?" Goten questioned.

"Juvia made Gray-sama breakfast so he wakes up happy. Why are you up so early?" The water mage replied.

A thought ran through Goten's head that he immediately ran with.

"Can you help me with something, Miss Water Lady?" Goten asked, ignoring her question.

"My name is Juvia." She huffed.

"Can you help me, Miss Juvia?"

"With what?"

"Can you use your water magic to wash these for me, please?" Goten asked holding out his fighting clothes, "I'm in a hurry."

"You're either brave or foolish to ask me for a favor after what you did yesterday." Juvia said with a look of contempt.

"I'm sorry." Goten apologized, making a puppy dog face, "But I really need your help because I'm kind of in a hurry."

"Fine." Juvia said, snatching Goten's fighting clothes from him, "Wait here. Juvia will return."

Goten said thanks and waited for her. After a minute or two, she returned with Goten's clean clothes.

"You owe me." Juvia said as she tossed him his gi, then turned around and left.

Goten changed his clothes in the middle of the hallway, hurriedly moving along with his plan. He didn't know why, but the idea just seemed like a really good idea to him. He looked up and down the hall and then quietly turned the doorknob on Gray's door. He tip-toed across the room until he found a tray of hot food on a table. On the tray Goten saw a glass of orange juice, a glass of milk, a syrup bottle, and three separate plates of food; two were smaller than the third. The first plate had some toast and eggs cooked sunny side up. The plate was on the top right corner of the tray. The second plate had some biscuits with what looked to be strawberry jam on top, and it was on the bottom right corner of the plate. The third plate in the center had a stack of three pancakes with small strips of bacon arranged to say, "GRAY-SAMA".

Goten grabbed the tray and cautiously snuck out of Gray's room with it. He felt a little bad grabbing the tray, but he needed the food quickly and assumed Gray wouldn't know about the food or even care if he knew. Goten simply added this to the list of repayments to Fairy Tail that Gohan mentioned. Besides, he and Trunks played pranks all the time. He walked back into his room with the tray and set it down gently, also tossing the white t-shirt he had aside. Goten went to Trunks' dirty fighting clothes and dug through its pockets until he found what he was looking for. He thought he was caught when he heard Trunks moan. He turned to see Trunks was still asleep, but he listened to Trunks' moans for a minute because he wondered what his friend could have been dreaming of._ Maybe he's dreaming of really good food like I do sometimes._ Finally figuring the coast was clear, Goten pulled out a small white box and threw Trunks' pants aside. He opened the box to examine the capsules inside. He grabbed the one that was marked as empty. Goten put the tray on the floor, clicked the capsule, and threw it onto the tray. After the smoke cleared, there was nothing there but the capsule. He picked up the capsule and quickly jumped out the window after opening it.

He used his ki sense to find his destination, and then shot off as fast as possible. He floated a few feet above the building named Fairy Hills while he scoped it out. He flew around until he felt he was near Wendy's room. Looking into the nearest window, he saw the blue haired girl sleeping peacefully, wrapped in her bed sheets. Lying next to her was Charle. Goten knew he had to be as quiet as possible while he tried to open the window. After a minute of slowly being pulled, the window finally opened. He didn't dare to touch the floor for fear of his footsteps being too loud. He clicked the capsule he had been carrying and placed it on a table.

He turned to leave, but realized something at the last minute. He turned around to look at the food, realizing the bacon still had Gray's name on it. Goten rearranged the bacon to read "WENDY". There was some extra bacon; so he quickly shoved those extra pieces into his mouth and hurried back out the window, closing it behind him and taking off for Fairy Tail. _Now let's just hope water lady doesn't find out._

Gohan woke up and stretched with a yawn. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he smiled when he looked at Videl's peaceful face. She was smiling as she slept. Gohan moved a lock of her hair from her forehead to behind her ear. Against his desire to remain in bed with Videl, he climbed out slowly to avoid waking her. He reflected on last night after he and Videl had their fun:

He had his right arm wrapped around her, holding her against him. She was laying sideways, resting her head on his shoulder and her right hand on his chest. Videl shifted her right leg to wrap it around his.

"So you really did join them." Videl said as she traced a finger over his guild mark, making him shiver slightly.

"I had to. You heard my reasoning when I was talking with Goten and Trunks." Gohan replied.

"It's probably good that you did. They are going to need your help." Videl said gently.

"With what?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know what's going to happen exactly," Videl explained, "But this world is in danger from a very powerful enemy."

Gohan shifted and turned on his side so he could face his wife. "Tell me everything."

After Videl had told him everything she knew about why he was here and what the Namekian elders feared, he just simply replied after a moment's thought:

"Okay, here's what we'll do…"


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: First Day on the Job Pt. 1

Trunks hopped out of bed while trying to remember every detail of his dream last night. He had dreams of the same kind before, but for some reason this one seemed better than the few before. Putting his happy thoughts aside, Trunks told Goten to wake up; but when he turned toward the other bed, Trunks saw that Goten wasn't in bed. Surprised that Goten had woken up before him, he searched for his friend's ki, finding it halfway to Fairy Tail. He smirked when he sensed that Goten had left Fairy Hills, chuckling as he found something to make fun of Goten about later. Trunks only hoped Mira wasn't going to tell everyone about his fainting in front of Lisanna.

He smelled breakfast in the room, but couldn't find any food. As he looked around the room, Trunks noticed his dirty clothes had been moved. He looked on the table in the center of the room and saw his capsule box lying open there. _I forgot I had these._ Investigating, Trunks noticed his empty capsule was gone. Putting two and two together, Trunks grinned. _Oh, I am SO making fun of him today._

He took out two of the capsules, clicking them and throwing them on the bed. A small dark blue Capsule Corporation jacket materialized, along with a black tank top and pair of pants. There also was an orange belt and matching color boots. After changing into his clothes, he looked at where the second capsule landed. What was there now was the sheathed Brave Sword that Tapion had given him as a gift. Trunks lifted it up and partially drew it. His blue eyes gleamed like the blade of the sword in the morning light that came through the window. Trunks was eager to get to work.

He knocked on Gohan's door after he stepped out his and Goten's room. He was greeted by an already dressed Videl, and her style was familiar. She was wearing her orange, long sleeve undershirt with a blue shirt over it with the word "FIGHT" written in red across the chest. She had on white pants and orange shoes to match. Trunks wondered why she wore her old style of clothes, but he didn't ask her about it. The only difference he noticed was that the shirts were shorter than the ones she wore after the WMAT. He guessed she shortened them to try to make the outfit appear less girlish.

"Good morning, Trunks!" she said with a smile, "Surprised to see me?"

"Hey, Videl." He replied, slightly red, "But no, I uh, felt you and Gohan's ki last night. Is Gohan in the shower?"

"Y-You did?" Videl said with a slight tone of embarrassment. She regained her composure quickly though, "Yeah, he is. You should come in. I'm sure you'd like me to explain how I'm here at least."

Trunks almost said yes, but reconsidered after he smelled a strange lingering scent in the room.

"Maybe you can tell me later." Trunks replied, "I was actually just going to tell Gohan I was off to the guild hall. Are you going to be there?"

"Actually, no." Videl answered, "Gohan and I think I should watch things from a distance, so to speak. We'll explain later. Just make sure to tell no one besides Goten that I'm here."

"Is that why you're hiding your energy again?" Trunks asked, sensing something strange going on.

Videl nodded in response, "I'll tell Gohan to meet you and Goten soon. So make sure Goten doesn't go anywhere."

"Okay!" Trunks said, turning to leave.

"Oh, hey, Trunks!" Videl started with a grin as Trunks looked back at her, "That's a cool outfit you've got on. You trying to impress someone?"

"Gohan told you?!" Trunks gasped.

"Nope, I saw it all!" Videl explained, feeling immense pleasure from embarrassing Trunks and remembering things like "kissy-kissy" that Trunks and Goten said to embarrass her, "Just make sure you don't cut that _cute_ hair of yours with that sword!"

Videl closed the door as Trunks left. Grinning ear to ear as Gohan walked out the bathroom.

"You shouldn't tease the poor guy like that." Gohan said with a chuckle as he dried off his hair.

"You shouldn't tease me walking in like that." Videl replied to make Gohan blush and feel the need to cover himself. Videl giggled at him. She didn't think she'd ever understand how Gohan could go from the aggressive and cool guy he was the night before to being the innocent, cute, and sweet boy he was in the morning.

She came up to him and kissed his cheek.

"You better get a move on, dear," she said as turned to a dresser, "Goten's already at the guild hall."

She pulled out a capsule and clicked it, tossing it on the bed. Gohan's blue gi and pants appeared on the bed, along with a red belt, red wristbands, and black shoes. After he had put his clothes on, Videl looked him over. His red guild mark, which matched the color of his belt and wristbands, partially stuck out from behind his shirt. He smiled when he noticed she was staring at him.

"Ready to put our plan into action?" Gohan asked his wife.

"I guess." Videl said with a chuckle, "I just hope you don't spoil Pan too much, since I won't be watching you two constantly. I know you can never say no to her."

"Only 'cause she looks so much like you…"

"Quit kissing up and go to work." Videl joked as Gohan walked up to her.

He kissed her goodbye and then put two fingers to his forehead, disappearing a moment later.

Goten swung his feet under his chair happily as he listened to Erza explain job requests to him.

"…And that's pretty much all you need to know." Erza concluded, "I wouldn't recommend someone your age going along on S-class jobs yet, but by what the others told me-"

"So all I gotta do is pull the job sheet off the board and tell Mira where I'm going?" Goten interrupted.

"Y-Yes." She answered, "But-"

Goten hopped away from his seat and darted over to the job board. He shoved aside a rather large man in tribal clothing so he could read the entire board. The man protested weakly, but was silenced by Romeo.

"What are you complaining for, Nab?" He said, "It's not like you were going to take one any time soon."

Romeo walked up and stood next to Goten as Nab walked away dejectedly.

"See any good ones?" He asked the demi-Saiyan.

"I don't know." Goten said as he scanned the board, "They all seem really fun."

"I know what you mean." Romeo agreed, "Sometimes it's hard to pick a favorite."

Macao walked up behind the two as they continued to look over the board.

"Hey, Romeo." He addressed his son with a grin, "You didn't happen to go to Fairy Hills this morning, did you?"

Confused, the young fire mage turned around and answered, "No?"

"Come on, son," Macao insisted, "You can tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"That's so?" the fourth master replied with a constant smirk, "So you're telling me someone else left Wendy breakfast with her name on it this morning? I know you've got a crush on her, and I'm not mad."

"DAD!"

Goten shrunk in his spot, hoping the two didn't notice him. He scanned the board quickly, trying to find something interesting. After a moment, he found a job he thought fit him perfectly. He quickly grabbed it with a nervous look towards Romeo before quietly making his way to the bar.

Jet and Droy sat next to each other by a table directly behind Goten. They weren't happy that Levy left them to go check on Gajeel, but at the moment they were busy talking about the latest gossip.

"Did you hear Wendy's got an admirer?" Goten heard Jet say to his teammate. Goten shifted awkwardly in his seat as he read his job request.

"No," Droy said, "What happened?"

"Someone left her breakfast in bed. Cana heard Wendy and Charle talking about it as she walked past their door."

"I bet Charle wasn't too happy about that, knowing how over protective she is."

Goten kept quiet until Mira walked up to him.

"I see you picked a job." She observed, "Which one is it?"

"It says that a place called 8-Island needed some taste testers for its new menu. I love to eat, so I grabbed it."

"Oh, that must be Mr. Yajima's. He's an old friend of the master, and he likes to send us easy work every now and then. You're lucky you grabbed that one when you did. Being paid to eat would be a very neat concept around here. Especially for Droy."

"What?" Droy said when he heard his name.

"Oh, nothing." Mira said with a chuckle, "Anyway, does it say when you're needed?"

"It says today or tomorrow, but it isn't urgent."

"You know," Mira informed, "Someone else who might really like this job is Natsu. And considering how beat up he is, an easy job like this might be just what he needs when he wakes up today."

"Really?" Goten replied as he thought, "You know, that's not too bad an idea."

"The pay is 400,000 Jewels right? Mr. Yajima is usually overly generous since he makes so much money now."

"It is." Goten confirmed as he folded up the job sheet and put it in a pocket inside his shirt, "I think I'll stay here and wait for Natsu to get up. It should be fun."

"I agree. I think you and Natsu will get along really well."

"Oh, and Goten?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't happen to have been by Fairy Hills this morning?" Mira whispered with a grin.

Goten went red as Mira added, "Don't worry. You're secret's safe with me. Now, do you want some breakfast? I'll pay for it if you show me how you cooked that fish later."

Goten agreed.

A few minutes ago:

Trunks walked into the lobby of Fairy Fields, meeting Gray who was talking to a worker at the front desk.

"Hey, Gray." Trunks said as he walked up.

"What's up?" Gray greeted as the worker turned away, "Heading to the guild hall?"

"Yup." Trunks answered.

"Wait a minute and I'll walk with you." the ice wizard said.

"Okay." Trunks replied. He was going to fly there, but he did want to start getting to know the guild members. After all, he was one of them now.

After Gray finished his business with the Fairy Fields worker, he and Trunks began their walk.

"So, Trunks," Gray started, "What do you plan on doing today?"

"I guess find some work." The Saiyan answered, "It seems like I could be here a while, and I'm going to need to pay for the room."

"So you guys are staying with us a little longer?" Gray asked, getting a nod from Trunks.

"Well, I would suggest getting work at the guild," Gray told the lavender haired teen, "But the best paying work is only for members."

"I guess it's a good thing I joined last night then." Trunks revealed as he folded his hands behind his head.

"Really?" Gray said surprised.

"Yep. Me, Goten and Gohan."

"That's awesome." The ice mage declared, "It's pretty cool that guys as strong as you joined. Welcome to the family."

"Thanks." Trunks replied.

Gray looked at the sword strapped to Trunks' back.

"That's a pretty mean looking weapon you got there."

"Thanks." Trunks said as he pulled the Brave Sword from its sheath, "It's a magic sword a good friend gave me."

"It seems heavy." Gray observed.

"It was at first." Trunks explained as he spun the sword with his right hand, "But I trained with it for a while in one hundred times gravity. Now it just feels like a part of me."

"A hundred times gravity?" Gray asked slightly confused, thinking he heard Trunks wrong.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you don't know what I'm talking about." Trunks apologized as he explained, "My grandpa designed a room that can increase the force of gravity inside it. I train in there all the time when I'm at home with my Dad. The recent upgrade made it able to create gravity 500 times stronger than the planet. I can stand up around 350 times, but I prefer training at 150. It's just more comfortable."

"You're pulling my leg here, aren't you?" Gray said disbelievingly, "There's no way anyone could survive that."

"I'm totally serious." Trunks said, "Actually, Gohan and I could probably build a GR for Fairy Tail if we have the supplies."

"You really aren't lying, are you?" Gray responded with surprise on his face and interest in his voice.

"I said I was serious." Trunks said as he released the Brave Sword, floating it with his ki. Gray watched as the sword flew over Trunks' head, pointed downward, and then sheathed itself. Since Gray was no stranger to environmental training, he felt that he and Trunks had something in common, even if there was a great difference in the style. The two talked about the kinds of training they both had undertaken for a couple minutes until they finally reached the guild hall.

"Erza, Juvia, and I are going on a job today with a pretty big reward," Gray said, "You can tag along if you want so we can show you the ropes."

"I might." Trunks answered, "But I want to see what Gohan and Goten are gonna do today first."

Gray nodded and then led Trunks into the guild hall. Trunks saw Goten at the bar talking to Mirajane, so he walked up to the bar and sat next to his friend.

"It's weird that you woke up before me." Trunks remarked to start the conversation.

"Well, with the noises you were making in your sleep, it would have been hard to sleep through that." Goten replied.

"What kind of noises?" Trunks demanded, slightly embarrassed, "Actually, don't tell me."

Mira gave Goten a plate of pancakes that reached just over his head's height. "Whoa." He said, "Thank you, Mira!"

"It's nothing." She said, "I heard you had a rather large appetite, so I hope this'll do."

Goten thanked her again as she turned to go serve the others in the hall. Goten offered to share with Trunks, who readily accepted.

"I don't know if you noticed last night," Trunks whispered as soon as Mirajane was out of earshot, "But Videl's here too."

"Big Sis is here?" Goten replied a little too loudly.

"Keep your voice down!" Trunks quickly told him, "We're not supposed to tell anyone. Videl said she'd explain why later."

"Oh, okay." Goten said, "I wonder what's up."

"Me too." Trunks added. After a moment, the two began to eat.

Gohan, Lucy, and Pan appeared next to the two a minute later.

"Good morning, you two." Gohan said with a smile as he grabbed a seat, putting Pan in his lap.

"Hey Gohan." The younger demi-Saiyans said, more focused on the pancakes than anything else.

Trunks swallowed a chunk of pancake and then turned to Gohan.

"What's the plan for today?" He asked.

"I don't know yet," Gohan answered, "I haven't got a look at the job requests yet."

"I did." Goten said with a mouth full of food, "I already picked one too."

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, squirt." Gohan scolded.

"Sorry," Goten said after he swallowed, "But, yeah. I picked a neat job. You aren't mad that I didn't talk to you first, are you?"

"No." his older brother replied, "I'm glad that you showed some initiative. We need to earn money quick, so I was going to suggest we all get separate jobs."

"In that case," Trunks said, "Gray asked me if I wanted to tag along with him, Erza, and Juvia on a job. I'll tell him I will."

"Good." Gohan said with a nod, "Now all I need to do is find a job for me. Something simple, since it'll be my first job."

"I'd like you to do something for me, actually." A voice said behind them. Turning around, Gohan saw a short old man that was bald on the top of his head with a prominent mustache. The man was wearing a tan travelling coat over a maroon vest that was over a white collared shirt. He also had on black pants and some slightly worn in brown shoes.

"Good morning, Master!" Mira and Lucy said with smiles.

"When did you get here, Master?" Mirajane asked, "I didn't see you come in."

"Oh, I was here last night." He replied as he hopped onto the bar. "I just didn't feel like making a grand entrance."

"I see." Mira said, "Gohan, Goten, Pan, Trunks, this is Master Makarov. Our master."

"And your master too if I heard right." Makarov said with a warm smile, "Welcome to Fairy Tail!"

"Thank you." Gohan replied bowing his head slightly, "You said you wanted me to do something for you?"

"Yes." Makarov explained, "I want you to come with me to a meeting of the nearby guild masters."

"But I just joined," Gohan said surprised, "Surely there'd be someone here more qualified to go than me."

"Don't be so modest." Makarov responded raising a hand, "You have some very powerful and useful skills. I'd like it if you came with me."

"What's the meeting for, Master?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, nothing special. It's just the first regular meeting since the Grand Magic Games."

"Okay. I'm ready whenever… Master." Gohan said before turning to Trunks and Goten, "Can one of you take Pan with you?"

"I don't know what type of job I'll be going on." Trunks replied.

"My job is food tasting," Goten answered, "I don't think that should be much trouble. I was going to wait until Natsu woke up and see if he wanted to split the pay with me."

"Of course the first job you'd get would involve eating." Trunks joked as Gohan grinned.

"Jokes aside," Gohan said, "That sounds like a good idea."

"I want to come too." Lucy volunteered, "I don't think you'd want Natsu to make too much of an impression on Goten or Pan."

"That's up to Goten." Gohan replied with a chuckle, "But I know what you mean. I get the feeling Goten and Natsu may have a lot in common. What do you think, Goten, you wouldn't mind letting Lucy come along to help you babysit?"

"I don't mind." Goten said as Pan hopped from her father's lap to Lucy's, "It'll be fun."

Just next to the group talking at the bar, Gray walked up to Juvia.

"Hey, Juvia, how are you feeling?" Gray asked, there seemed to be a hint of concern in his voice.

"Juvia feels fine, darling." She responded, blushing and excited that her dearest Gray was asking her how she felt, "Why?"

"That's good. It's nothing really…" Gray explained, "I just noticed you didn't leave me breakfast like you always do, so I thought you might have been feeling under the weather or something."

Goten put his hands on the edge of the bar, getting ready for the worst case scenario.

"Gray-sama notices when Juvia leaves him breakfast?" she said, going into some sort of reverie. Until she realized that Gray just said he didn't get breakfast…

"Gotta go!" Goten quickly exclaimed to the people sitting with him.

"YOU LITTLE RUNT!"

The rest of the guild watched as Juvia fired a jet of water at Goten, barely missing him as he ducked underneath it. Juvia made the water from her attack into a barrier to block the door so Goten couldn't escape.

"Uh oh." He said as he realized his path was blocked.

Wendy walked towards Fairy Tail with Charle following closely, floating just off her right shoulder. When she woke up, she had wondered why she smelled food until Charle pointed out the tray of food on her table. She was surprised when she saw her name on a stack of pancakes. Charle suggested not eating it, but Wendy didn't want to refuse a nice gesture and free food, despite not knowing who it came from. She could smell that someone had been in the room, but the scent from the food was too strong for her to see if the person's scent was familiar of not. She found a strange pill-shaped object on the tray that Charle didn't notice, and she grabbed it without telling her Exceed friend about it. She'd investigate who left the food on her own, and this was an important clue. After Wendy ate and nothing bad had happened to her, Charle had stated that Wendy obviously had some kind of admirer.

Wendy took off her sleeping clothes and wrapped a towel around herself. As she put away her pajamas, she tucked the strange object in her dresser under them. She then walked out her room and made for the bath. As she sat in the soothing water, she wondered about her breakfast and where it came from. It could have been a girl in Fairy Tail just trying to be nice. It didn't have to be a boy. Maybe it was someone she healed that was repaying her, she couldn't know. But for some reason, Wendy's subconscious told her she should look her best today.

Getting back into her room, she began drying her hair as she went through her clothing options. Finally deciding on her white sleeveless dress that had some frill at the bottom and just above her hips on her left and right side. She pulled out her thigh-height white socks that had a red lace to be tied around just underneath the top to match since she had decided she was going to wear her long red boots that had white toes, soles, and heels; the boots also had some pink on the inside that she would fold out slightly. She grabbed white sleeves that had frill at the bottom and top, and the two bits of frill started at red lines that would be halfway up her upper arm just under her guild mark and just above her wrist. The finishing touches would be two red bows, one large and used as a sash while the other she would go around her neck, and cat ear headband with pink inner ears and red on the outer, the ears were had the pink coloring on both sides. They also had openings on opposite sides that she pulled her hair through to make it part from her head on the left and right. The rest of her hair she rearranged to cover the headband. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she put on some perfume that smelled of strawberries, causing Charle to give her a sideways look –Wendy never used perfume unless there was a special occasion. She asked Charle to put the perfume bottle back by her bed so that she could subtly grab the strange object from her drawer. After successfully doing so, she led the way to the guild hall.

She felt ridiculous about getting all dolled up now, but then it seemed like a good idea. She was about to open the doors to the guild hall when she and Charle heard a commotion coming from inside. Before she could even wonder what was happening, a wave of water crashed through the window just to the left of the doors with someone inside it. The water and whoever it carried crash landed on top of the gift shop. The water and its victim rolled off the roof, knocking the merchandise off the front counter and thoroughly drenching Max.

"That was actually kinda fun!" the dark haired boy said as he sprung back up and brushed the dirt off himself.

"Goten?" Wendy said as she watched him dust himself off.

"Oh, hey, Wendy!" Goten replied, greeting her with a broad smile.

"What jus-" Charle was starting when Max popped up from behind the counter.

"What's the big idea?!" He demanded, "Look at this mess! Everything's wet!"

"Sorry about that." Goten said, scratching the back of his neck.

"What happened?" Wendy asked, "You're not hurt are you?"

"No." Goten answered, "Should that have hurt?"

"You went through a window, fell a story, hit a solid roof, and then fell off that!" Charle exclaimed, "All while being hit by what seems to be an attack from Juvia! Of course it should have hurt!"

"Why did Juvia attack you?" Wendy inquired, "She's usually really nice."

"He probably did something obscene again and deserved it." Charle concluded.

"What's 'obscene' mean?" Goten asked honestly, tilting his head slightly to the right and making Wendy giggle.

"I hope you're just pretending to be dumb." Charle stated flatly.

"I get told that a lot." Goten replied, getting Wendy to giggle again, "Anyway, I'm glad you're here, Wendy. I wanted to see you real bad."

"R-Really?" she asked faintly pink as she felt Charle's eyes drilling into her, "Why?"

"Because," Goten explained as he lifted his right sleeve, "I joined Fairy Tail!"

"That's really great!" Wendy said excitedly.

"The similarity between your guild marks is striking." Charle commented sarcastically.

"I meant it to be like that." Goten explained, "Since Wendy's the first friend I made in Fairy Tail."

Not even Charle could muster up some kind of sarcastic response to a statement as kind and honest as that.

"Goten…" Wendy said with pink cheeks.

"Anyway, I also wanted to tell you about the job I got." Goten continued without noticing Wendy's expression, "The pay is 400,000 just to eat some food. Me and Lucy are gonna wait for Natsu to get up before we go. I wondered if you wanted to come. I'm not too good with numbers, and it'd be much easier to split that four ways than three."

"That's a large amount to pay for just some food critics." Charle said with a tone of suspicion.

"Mira said the guy paying, Mr. Yajima I think, is usually very generous." Goten explained.

"I'm not sure I'll be much of a judge on food," Wendy said, "But I do prefer quieter work to going out and fighting, so sure; I'll come."

"Really?" Goten asked perking up, "Okay! We're just waiting for Natsu to wake up and we'll go. Can you do me one favor though?"

"What is it?"

"Do you know any good hiding spots around here?" Goten asked, "I need to wait somewhere until water la-Miss Juvia, I mean, leaves."

Wendy giggled before answering, "No, I'm sorry; but I can't help you there."

"It's okay." Goten said as he looked around, "I'll find a spot near here. Just come out when Juvia's left."

Wendy nodded and watched as Goten ran to the side of the guild hall.

"That boy is nothing but trouble." Charle said, "You shouldn't spend too much time with him."

"I think you just haven't got a good first impression, Charle." Wendy said as she pushed open the doors to Fairy Tail, "I think he's really sweet."


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: First Day on the Job Pt. 2

After Juvia and Goten's little show, Trunks just shook his head while Gohan put his face in his right hand.

"Is Goten going to be alright?" Lucy asked with concern, "That looked painful."

"Oh, he's perfectly fine." Gohan answered, "I'd be more worried about getting that window fixed. Which we'll pay for if we need to."

"Not necessary, Gohan." Makarov assured, "Worse has happened with Natsu and company around."

Gohan chuckled and thanked the master for his kindness.

The group by the bar watched as Wendy and Charle tried to enter the hall quietly. Lucy noticed a number of guild members were watching them as they moved to the bar.

"Good morning, everyone." Wendy said sheepishly as she grabbed a seat next to Lucy and Charle landed on the bar.

"Same to you." Gohan replied as he too noticed the eyes on her.

"Hey, Wendy?" Lucy asked quietly, "Why does it seem that so many in here are looking at you?"

"If I heard the rumors right," Makarov answered for her while matching Lucy's volume, "Wendy and Charle's day has started out interesting."

"Something like that, I'll tell you about it later." Wendy stated as she tried to change the subject, "Anyway, Goten just told me about the job you're going on."

"Are you coming with us?" Lucy asked.

"Against our better judgement." Charle commented.

"Oh, stop it." Wendy told the Exceed.

"Well," Makarov announced as he dropped off the bar, "Gohan and I had better get a move on. We don't want to be late."

Gohan nodded, said goodbye, and followed the master out the guild hall.

Trunks hopped down from his seat after he finished off Goten's pancakes and walked up to Gray.

"So, have you figured out what you're gonna do today?" Gray asked as Trunks walked up next to him.

"You still got room for one more?" Trunks responded.

A few minutes later; Trunks, Gray, Juvia, and Erza were on their way.

Erza turned to Trunks as they walked down the road heading west, pulling her comically large luggage wagon behind her.

"You are Trunks, correct?" She started the conversation, "I'm glad you could come along. I always enjoy getting to know the new members of the guild."

"Thank you, Erza." Trunks replied, "I heard that you're the strongest girl in Fairy Tail and that even Gray and Natsu are scared of you."

Gray crossed his arms and looked away in protest, but didn't argue.

"Gray-Sama is afraid of nothing!" Juvia insisted, "But if you insult my darling or do anything like your friend's antics, you will have something to be scared of!"

Erza chuckled, "You shouldn't be so harsh, Juvia. I'm sure Trunks is his own man."

"Thanks," Trunks said, "But you should know Goten doesn't mean anything by his 'antics'. He can get under your skin, but he really cares a lot about pretty much everyone he meets."

"You must be very close to talk so kindly about him. You must be a loyal friend." Erza stated, "It's obvious that your love for him is strong."

"I don't know about all that." Trunks said shyly, "I just know Goten."

"Modest too." Erza observed.

"But not always." Gray chimed in, "He was talking real tough about his skills this morning."

"That so?" Erza asked.

"Yeah." Gray continued, "I don't know if you looked on his back, but he's also pretty proud of that sword he's got."

"I did see it," Erza said, "Are you a swordsman?"

Trunks nodded, "I am. But I'm self-taught really. I wouldn't exactly know how good my skills are since I've never had a real opponent."

"Erza's one of the best sword fighters in the entire kingdom. She has tons of armors and weapons that she has mastered." Gray explained, "She could probably show you a thing or two."

"You could?" Trunks asked the red-haired wizard.

"I wouldn't mind." Erza said, "Though I've never had any kind of apprentice before. I don't know what sort of teacher I'd make."

"I'm sure you'd make a great teacher, Erza." Gray remarked, causing Juvia to give him a sideways look.

_Juvia does not know what to do!_ She thought frantically, _If Gray-sama keeps flirting with Erza, Juvia might lose her darling Gray! But if Erza starts teaching the friend of the runt, she might be too distracted to seduce my love._

"Are you okay, Miss?" Trunks asked Juvia, seeing a strange expression on her face.

_He knows what I'm thinking! _She wildly concluded, _What do I say?!_

"Juvia's fine." Gray answered for her, "Her imagination's just running off with her again."

"Oh, okay." Trunks said before turning back to Erza.

Looking at her luggage he said, "That looks heavy. Do you want me to pull it for you?"

"You're kind to offer, Trunks, but no thank you." Erza replied, "I like to carry my own weight."

"Okay. What's in there anyway, your armor or swords?" Trunks asked, "That's a lot of bags."

"It's all food, ingredients, cooking supplies and other comfort items actually." Erza answered, "My weapons and armor aren't there."

"You went on a job with only the armor you have on and lots of food?" Trunks questioned.

"Erza's magic allows her to store weapons and armor in a separate dimension." Gray explained, "She can change clothing and weapons almost instantly."

"Cool!" Trunks said, "Can you show me?"

"Sure." Erza said, putting her hand out. Immediately, a sword appeared in her hand. Impressed, Trunks started asking Erza about the kinds of armor and weapons she had while she answered all of his questions. They carried on like this for a couple of minutes before Gray noticed they were so distracted with conversation that they were slowing down.

"Come on, you two." Gray interrupted, "If we walk at this rate we won't make it to the mountains before sun down tomorrow."

"You're right, Gray, I apologize." Erza said, "We need to keep a constant pace."

"Where are we going, by the way?" Trunks wondered aloud, "I realize I never asked what the job was."

"We're going to Crocus, the capital city." Gray explained, "A client there wants us to investigate rumors of a dark guild. The flyer says we'll get more info when we get there and meet the client."

"What's the pay?" Trunks asked, "You said it was big."

"It's 800,000 Jewels." Gray told him, seeing the surprise on his face, "I think that's a lot for just investigating rumors, but we'll see what's up when we get there in a few days."

"Okay." Trunks said, "But if you tell me how to get there, I could get us there before sun down."

"I doubt that." Juvia said, "Crocus is many miles from here."

"No, really." Trunks insisted. "You three could hop on Erza's cart, and I could fly us all the way there."

"You're that strong?" Erza asked.

"Stronger!" Trunks exclaimed, "It'd be a good morning warm-up for me."

"I don't know," Erza hesitated, having just stated that she likes to carry her own weight.

"Come on, Erza, think about it." Gray said, "We could spend some of that time to relax. We hadn't seen Crocus without all the crowds, and we could take a free day before going to work with the time and supplies we'll save."

"Alright." Erza agreed after some consideration, "But let me secure my gear first."

On a train just outside of Magnolia…

Makarov walked down the aisle with a drink in his hand before he plopped into his seat across from Gohan, who sat with his eyes closed trying to keep his routine meditation.

_Anyone in there?_ Gohan heard Makarov's voice ask inside his head.

_Yes. I'm still here, Master. _He replied.

_Worried about your brother and daughter?_ The master asked.

_No, Master, it's more wonder than worry._

_I see, _Makarov said, _So you're trying to connect with them mentally to see what they're doing?_

_Yes, sir._ Gohan answered.

_Have your attempts been successful?_

_Vaguely. _Gohan explained, _Pan's easier to see through because she's so young. But Goten's too busy thinking, and his thoughts are blocking me. If I were better at this, that probably wouldn't stop me though. And when I'm really good, I may even be able to talk to them from wherever I am._

_Ah, so you're training right now._ The wizard saint said, _Am I hindering you?_

_If we were talking normally, you would be. _Gohan explained, _But talking like this actually helps._

_You said "see through" Pan. _Makarov inquired, _Does that mean you can see what's going on at the guild hall?_

_Anything that Pan sees. _Gohan affirmed, _I can see that Natsu's awake now and looking for me._

_Your fight with those two was spectacular, even if you were severely holding back._

_You could tell I was holding back?_

_It was pretty obvious. If you wouldn't mind, I'd actually like to know more about your skills._

The two talked about each other's abilities for some time. After Gohan had finished explaining his God form's abilities, Makarov asked him if he could change into it on command.

_Of course. _Gohan replied, _It used to be pretty hard to do, but after a year's training, it's almost just as natural as my other transformations._

_Good. We're going to need it._

Trunks dropped the luggage cart on the main road just outside Crocus, seriously startling a group of nearby travelers. Gray and Erza hopped off the top of the cart to stretch their legs. Gray chuckled when he saw water slide off the back of the cart. Trunks' speed had caught Juvia by surprise, and she had trouble keeping her body together during their flight.

"You okay, Juvia?" He asked as she rose from her puddle.

"Juvia is starting to think she doesn't like either of those two boys." She said glumly.

Trunks and Gray laughed while Erza smirked.

"At least you don't have to worry about fixing your hair from the wind like I do." She commented to Juvia as she re-quipped a brush.

"This is true." The water mage admitted.

"Side effects aside, we got here impressively fast." Erza said as she fixed her hair, "Thank you, Trunks."

"Yeah, man." Gray added, "That was pretty cool."

"It was nothing." Trunks replied, "I'm just a little hungry now."

"It is around midday." Erza said, "We can have lunch as soon as we find a suitable hotel. We'll have to spend a night here since the client isn't expecting to meet us until tomorrow or the day after."

"We don't need a hotel." Trunks said with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked with a questioning look.

Trunks reached into his right jacket pocket and pulled out a small white box. He opened it and pulled out a capsule. He showed it to the others with a grin, clicked the button on top, and tossed it just off the road side. It exploded with a light "poof", creating a cloud of smoke.

"Wha-?!" Juvia exclaimed as Erza watched with no readable expression on her face. When the smoke cleared, it was Gray's turn to say something.

"A freakin house?!" He asked shocked, "What else is in your pocket?!"

A dome-shaped white house with the CC logo on the front now sat on the side of the road.

"That's the biggest thing I got." Trunks explained, "The other capsules just have some clothes. The house comes fully furnished, but there's no food inside. This model has three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. I'm actually wondering if the TV's gonna work or not."

"What's a TV?" Gray asked, "Actually, never mind. My mind's been blown enough times today."

"This is very strange, but impressive." Erza concluded as she opened the front door, "I guess all that's left to do is cook some lunch."

"The cooking machines will probably be a bit weird for you," Trunks explained, "So you'll need my help."

Erza led the group into the house as the three wizards took in their strange surroundings. The living room and kitchen were one big semi-circular room. The living room section was immediately on the right. It had two couches that made a 90 degree angle, one couch facing towards the entrance side and the other couch on the left side the first facing a table and an armchair that was to the right of the first couch. At television by the wall completed the living room section. To the immediate left was the kitchen. Along the wall was the refrigerator, oven, and some cabinets. There was a large dinner table in the middle of the kitchen area to top it off. The first half of the house was spacious and comfortable. The second half was blocked from sight by a wall that was the entire diameter of the building with three doors spaced evenly.

"The biggest bedroom is the square one in the middle." Trunks said, "Each room has a corner that's a private bathroom too. And as I said, the rooms are fully furnished: beds, dressers, nightstands, alarm clocks, everything."

"I still can't believe this was all in your pocket." Gray commented.

"I'm sorry that there's only three bedrooms." Trunks apologized.

"That's perfectly okay!" Juvia declared with hearts in her eyes as she grabbed Gray's arm, "My darling and I will share a room!"

"You wish!" Gray replied, "No, I'll take a couch."

Erza walked over to the fridge. A look of surprise appeared on her face, "Is this liquor?" she asked as she pulled out a large bottle that was filled with a golden-brown liquid.

"Oh, yeah, it could be." Trunks answered, somewhat embarrassed, "My grandpa threw housewarming parties in here to demonstrate the technology when he traveled. It was a really successful marketing strategy as it turned out. I didn't even know that stuff was there, so help yourselves."

Back at Fairy Tail…

"All right! Where is he?!" Natsu yelled as he kicked down the door to Fairy Tail's recovery room.

"What are you doing, Natsu?!" Lucy called to him as she followed him out the broken door.

_So much for getting up slowly. _Lucy joked to herself, _But I guess I shouldn't be surprised I was wrong._

"What do you think?!" He replied, "I'm going to find Gohan and fight him again!"

"Don't waste your time." A voice called out from the second floor, "You'll be flattened just like last time, maybe worse if you don't have help."

"What do you know about it, Laxus?" Natsu commented sarcastically, "I can beat him!"

"You should really calm down, Natsu." Mirajane said as Pan sat on the bar next to her, "You wouldn't be able to fight him right now even if you wanted to."

"Why's that?" the fire wizard asked.

"Because Master brought him to a conference." Mira answered.

"He what?! But he's not even a guild member!"

"Actually," Lucy informed him, "Gohan, Trunks, and Goten joined soon after beating you two unconscious."

"Awesome!" Natsu cheered, "Now I'll get to fight him whenever!"

"Can you keep your voice down, Salamander?" Gajeel chimed in from his bed, "Some of us are still trying to sleep."

"Maybe I should come over and knock you out!" Natsu quipped, "That'll help you sleep, won't it?!"

"What'd you say to me?!" Gajeel yelled, hopping out of his bed. He managed a step before falling forward since he still didn't have enough strength in his legs.

"You both need to calm down and finish recovering." Levy said as she helped Gajeel get back into his bed.

"I agree with Levy." Lily said as he floated nearby, a bandage wrapped around his head, "You took a pretty bad beating. Besides, neither of you would last in a rematch. I get the feeling he was holding a lot back."

"Aye." Happy agreed, "It looked like we were fighting a flying Gildarts, but Gohan might be stronger."

"It's good to see you two are okay as well." Charle said to the two male Exceeds.

"Were you worried about me, Charle dear?" Happy asked with an endearing look.

"Not in the slightest." Charle lied with her arms crossed.

"That jerk!" Natsu exclaimed, "I thought it was understood that we wouldn't hold back!"

"He probably would have killed you if he didn't." Lucy replied, getting nods and sounds of agreement from Mira, Levy, and Laxus.

"Fine." Natsu said with a huff, "I guess I can wait. I don't think Gramps would like it if I destroyed the conference building again anyway."

"You were thinking about picking a fight there?!" Lucy asked stunned.

"Happy, I'm kinda hungry." Natsu stated, "What's our food money look like?"

"Flat broke." Happy answered, "But I do have some fish."

"You always have fish." Lucy remarked. Happy replied by facing her and sticking his tongue out.

"I guess we gotta get some work then." Natsu concluded.

"Actually, Lucy's got something for you." Mirajane said.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"Mr. Yajima needs some people to try out his new menu." Mira explained, "He's asked Fairy Tail first, and he's offered to pay quite a bit."

"Sounds good to me." Natsu said, "I'll do anything for free food."

"I bet you'll remember he said that for later tonight, won't you?" Happy commented quietly to Lucy.

"I'm not going to be immature like you, so I'm just going to ignore that." Lucy said with pink cheeks.

"Your rosy cheeks didn't ignore me." Happy added.

"Quit it, fur ball!"

"Where's the job sheet?" Natsu asked as he ignored his friends' usual antics.

"It's actually Goten's job." Lucy said, "I think he planned on offering you the job himself, but Juvia ran him out the building."

"Wendy was supposed to get him half an hour ago, actually." Charle commented, "I wonder if she found him. He said he was going to find a spot to hide from Juvia."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Natsu said as he began to walk to the doors with Happy, Lucy, Pan, and Charle in tow, "Let's find them."

They didn't have to go very far, since Goten and Wendy were sitting outside by one of the café tables.

"Oh, hey, Natsu!" Wendy greeted as she saw him come outside, "It's good to see you're okay."

"Thanks, Wendy." Natsu replied as he came up to the table.

"I heard you got work for me." Natsu stated to Goten, "Something about eating food."

"Lucy or Mira told you?" Goten asked. Natsu nodded and asked when they would get started. When Goten said as soon as everyone was ready, Natsu gave a cheer.

"All right then!" He exclaimed as Lucy, Charle, and Happy came closer, "What are we waiting for?"

Wendy and Goten got up and joined the group to begin Goten's first job. After a few minutes of talking about how they were getting to Hargeon, which resulted in Natsu's losing most of his enthusiasm since he now realized he had to get on a train; Charle turned to Wendy.

"By the way, child, what were you and Goten doing sitting out there? You were supposed to bring him back to wait for Natsu to get up."

"I'm sorry." Wendy apologized, "Goten and I were just talking."

"About what?" Charle inquired. Wendy was going to answer, but Natsu interrupted.

"Can't we just fly there? I know your brother can, so what about you?" Salamander asked the Saiyan.

"I can, but I don't think I'll be able to hold onto everyone."

Natsu groaned at the prospect of riding a train. Then an idea came to mind.

"Just face it, Natsu." Lucy said, "You're gonna have to deal with it. Maybe it's been long enough since Wendy's used Troia on you that you won't be miserable the whole ride."

"What if Happy and Charle held us behind you; and you just pulled us along?" Natsu suggested, "Y'know, like a train of some sort?"

"A very strange train." Charle remarked.

"I could handle it." Happy declared, ever ready to do as Natsu asked.

"But there's four of us that need to be carried." Lucy observed as she held Pan, "And Happy's fond of reminding me that he can only carry one. I'm sure Pan doesn't make much of a difference if I hold her, but that still makes three."

"I can hold onto one person." Goten said.

"There we go!" Natsu said, desperate to try anything instead of riding a vehicle, "Goten can hold onto Wendy while Charle grabs Lucy and the kid. Happy'll hold onto me."

"Why can't Lucy be grabbed by him?" Charle argued, "I don't trust him."

"Thanks for worrying about me." Lucy remarked sarcastically, "But I'm too tall for him."

"Lucy's right." Natsu said, "What do you think, Wendy?"

"I'm okay with it." She answered.

"Sweet!" Natsu exclaimed, thinking he may get out of riding the train, "Now we just need something to tie us together. Do you think your whip would work, Lucy?"

"You mean the Fleuve d'etoiles?" Lucy asked, "I may be able to tie it around us."

"It's worth a shot isn't it?" Natsu asked, "All right, everyone, let's line up. Goten, grab Wendy."

Goten nodded and looked to Wendy to ask if she was ready. Goten lifted her up bridal style after she nodded while Lucy pulled out her gift from Virgo. The celestial mage stepped behind Natsu and aimed it at him and Goten. The magical water-like material the whip was made out of wound its way around Natsu's waist before extending and doing the same for Goten.

"Wow. That actually worked." Lucy said as she tied the handle end around her waist, "Let's just hope it doesn't run out of power before we get there."

"Don't worry, Luce." Natsu assured, "If Goten's anywhere near as fast as his brother, then we'll make it to Hargeon in no time."

"Are you ready?" Goten asked Happy and Charle.

"I guess we are. Though I still think this looks ridiculous." Charle answered after Happy gave his signature "Aye!"

Goten slowly started to lift off the ground with Happy and Charle lifting the others. As they were climbing, Goten looked to Wendy, not noticing the blush on her face.

"Is it just me, or do you smell like strawberries?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah." Wendy answered while reddening further, "I'm surprised Natsu or Happy hadn't said anything about it with their sense of smell, but it's the perfume I'm wearing. Erza gave it to me a while ago, but I don't use it very often. I probably shouldn't have put it on."

"Don't worry about it." Goten told her, "I kinda like it actually. It smells nice."

"Oh. Well, thanks, Goten." Wendy said, feeling reassured and strangely happy.

Having finally reached a decent altitude, Goten looked back to his other travelling companions.

"Which direction are we flying?" He asked. Natsu pointed southward. Goten turned to face the direction Natsu pointed, and Charle and Happy got behind him.

"Okay. Are we ready?"

Happy and Charle confirmed they were; and as soon as they did, Goten shot ahead with everyone along for the ride.

Clover Town...

Gohan and Makarov got off the train after it reached its final destination in Clover Town's station. Makarov led the way as they walked out the station and through the town. Gohan thought he noticed a girl in a long-flowing light-pink dress watching him as he walked by, but he dismissed the thought when he turned his head and didn't see or feel anything.

"Before we get to the meeting, Gohan," Makarov said suddenly, "I wanted to tell you that I lied about the nature of it at the guild hall."

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"It's an emergency meeting." Makarov explained, "There's been some talk about things that scare even me. Hopefully they're just rumors, but we'll see if there's any real danger when we get there."

"What are the rumors saying, Master?" Gohan asked.

"The rumors flying around the council, the saints, and masters is that a threat has been seen in Fiore once again. I can't even say it aloud for fear of causing a panic."

"What is it?"

_Acnologia._


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: First Day on the Job Pt. 3

Trunks sat on the couch facing the pointless TV, tending to the welts he had on his arms and legs with an ice pack he'd made. His jacket, sword, and pants were slung over the top of the armchair with his boots on the floor next to it. He and Erza had sparred with swords after having a quick lunch, and without using his full speed or ki to bolster his guard, he didn't stand a chance. But he needed to do that in order to get a feel for his sword skills, not his own strength. Erza insisted he was very good considering how recently he had started training in sword combat compared to her, but his pride still stung just as much as his arms and legs.

Gray and Juvia came through the front door after having spent the day wandering the capital. Juvia was smiling ear to ear for some reason, but considering what he knew about Juvia's obsession and imagination, Trunks didn't really want to ask why. Gray walked over by Trunks and flopped onto the other couch laying with his feet towards the TV.

"I see you and Erza had a go." Gray noted with a chuckle as he stretched and shifted to get comfortable.

"That smile on Juvia's face says that you and her had a go as well." Trunks replied as he touched one of his more painful injuries on his right leg with the ice pack. The sound of "Juviiin!" could be heard behind them as Gray went red.

"We did not!" He replied to Trunks honestly, "And no one needs to make her imagination any bigger than it already is, so don't encourage her."

Trunks chuckled as he put ice to a bruise on his shoulder.

"I can ice all those marks at one time if you'd like." Gray offered.

"Thanks, but I'm good." Trunks answered, "Besides, you look too comfy on the couch."

"You're right about that." Gray replied as he turned his head to face the ceiling and closed his eyes momentarily.

Erza came out the center bedroom with nothing on but a towel and called Trunks' name.

"What's up?" Trunks asked without looking, still busy icing down his injuries.

"I plan on cooking dinner soon." She answered, "You said you'd need to explain how to use the cooking equipment here?"

"Oh, yeah." Trunks said removing the ice pack from his left arm and setting it on the table in front of him. He got up, grabbed his pants off the armchair, put them back on, and refastened his belt. He grabbed his jacket and sword saying, "Just let me put these in my room first."

When Trunks came back out, he finally saw Erza was only in a towel, and his face went slightly red. Not noticing Trunks' discomfort, Erza began asking him about what she needed to know. Trunks slowly recovered his composure, explained how the oven cooked without fire or magic, and then showed her how all the buttons on it worked. Erza nodded after hearing Trunks' instructions and re-quipped into some clothes for cooking. Gray watched this for a laugh as he knew what was about to happen. As Erza shined with a bright light, her towel disappeared; and Trunks immediately spun around to look away with his hands over his eyes and his face red as a tomato. Erza's new clothes were nothing too special, just a dress and an apron that said, "Kiss the Cook."

"Heh." Gray chuckled, "I probably should have warned you that was going to happen."

Juvia was standing in her doorway when Erza re-quipped, feeling frustrated when she saw Gray was watching Erza change clothes. She also didn't like Erza's apron, afraid it was on in order to seduce her darling ice mage. It took every ounce of her will power to avoid crushing the door frame with her hands.

While Trunks and Erza were working on dinner, Gray had come over to the refrigerator and freezer to inspect it.

"So all these machines run on just electricity?" He asked as he put his hand in the freezer, getting a "yup" from Trunks, "We should show Laxus all this. I'd bet it would also be convenient to have him around if the power was ever out."

"I'm not too sure Laxus would like it if you tried to plug housing appliances into him." Erza stated.

"True." Gray said with a smirk after having an image of Natsu poking an irritated Laxus with a power cord until being brutally swatted away. _Oh, we have GOT to make that happen._

Juvia came up behind Gray with a glass and the bottle of liquor Erza had found in the fridge, "Drink, darling?"

Erza didn't know how she felt about a minor having alcohol on him; but when Trunks explained that the house was only recently given to him from his family and he didn't know about the drinks, she decided to say no more on the matter.

Gray looked at Juvia suspiciously for a moment before saying, "Sure. Why not."

Juvia poured it for him and gave it to him. He made some ice for it and sipped it.

"This is pretty good stuff."

"Knowing my family," Trunks said, "There's probably some more expensive stuff hidden somewhere in here."

"Just don't let Cana find out." Gray laughed as Erza placed two whole and fully prepared turkeys in the oven. Trunks knew that wouldn't be enough for himself, so he went back to his room on the right side of the house and put his jacket and sword back on. He announced he'd be back as he crossed the distance between his bedroom door and the front door.

"Where're you going?" Gray asked him, taking another sip of his drink.

"To take a look around town." Trunks half-lied.

"Come back in an hour and the food will be done." Erza replied, "And try to not get in trouble."

"Awww!" Trunks joked as he opened the front door.

"He's in Fairy Tail, Erza." Gray replied as Trunks shrugged, "All we do is get in trouble."

"I know," Erza said, "But still, don't."

"Alright, fine." Trunks responded, "But you sound like my mother. Minus the occasional death threats, of course."

"Don't worry," Gray added with a laugh, "She'll start giving you those after a week or so."

Clover Town…

Gohan raised an eyebrow in interest as he looked ahead, _Who's Acnologia?_

_More like what's Acnologia._ The master replied, _He's an evil dragon that would kill any person he crossed. Only Gildarts, the strongest of our guild besides me, survived without ancient protection magic. Even so, he lost his arm and leg just trying to escape Acnologia._

_Sounds like a powerful monster. _Gohan stated.

_More than powerful._ Makarov explained, _The best of us in Fairy Tail including me, Gildarts, and four dragon slayers went up against him; and we didn't even scratch a scale. The only reason we survived was that we were on our sacred ground called Tenrou Island, but that's a long story. All you really need to know is that we got lucky; and even then, those of us on the island paid for that miracle by sleeping for seven years._

"I'm guessing that must have hurt the guild. Not to mention the feeling of finding out how much you missed in that time." Gohan said aloud, "My father actually had been away for seven years while my mother and I raised Goten. Goten was so nervous when he first him."

"I see." Marakov replied, "Where was he?"

"It's hard to explain, but he was dead." Gohan answered, "It was only because a guardian of our universe allowed it that made my father able to come back."

"Sounds like the world you're from has some strange things happening in it." Makarov concluded.

"The same could be said for yours." Gohan said with a smirk, "But then again, we both can be considered weirdos compared to the rest of the people in our worlds, right?"

"This is true." Makarov chuckled as they arrived at the front door of the conference hall.

"The last time I saw this place," Makarov reminisced, "It was a pile of rubble that Natsu's team and a demon created. We moved the location to another meeting spot until it was rebuilt, but I was asleep to miss its grand reopening."

Gohan entered the building with his master, being greeted by guild masters from all over Fiore. He noticed the respectful tone that most of them gave Makarov, but he figured it would be like this, given that Makarov was master of the number one guild.

"It's nice to see you again, Maki!" A very peculiar voice said. Gohan lost his momentary composure and showed his confusion when he saw a rather large man in a pink dress and heels with white wings on his back.

_Yes, Master Bob is a man._ Makarov explained to Gohan telepathically, _He may be strange; but he is a respectable wizard and the master of Blue Pegasus, one of our most loyal allies, so just go with it._

"It's nice to be back." Makarov replied, "Though I hope the reason we're here is just an overreaction."

"I agree." Bob said before looking at Gohan.

"Oh! And who is this handsome young man?" he said as he grabbed Gohan and rubbed his stubble on Gohan's arm.

"Uh… thanks?" Gohan whimpered while trying to gently worm his way out Bob's grip.

"This is Gohan, one of my three newest members." Makarov answered.

"You know this meeting is meant for masters only." Bob told the short man as he released Gohan.

"Gohan is a special case." Makarov replied, "I won't say more until the meeting starts."

"I hope this isn't another one of Fairy Tail's stunts." An old woman's voice said, "If it is, I'll spin you myself, Makarov!"

"There's nothing to worry about, Ooba." Makarov assured, "How's Lamia Scale doing these days?"

"Better if we weren't known as the third best guild."

"Oh, don't be so sad about that." Another voice jumped into the conversation, "You could be in sixth."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Goldmine," Makarov said, "I still have a high opinion of Quatro Puppy."

"It's Quatro Cerberus." the punk rock-fashioned master corrected, "At any rate, I sympathize with Bob and Ooba's hesitation at your bringing guild members here. Anything Fairy Tail does usually makes the council worry anyway. And considering the council's recent mood, I wouldn't want to test their patience."

"Oh, whatever." Makarov said, "Either way, I made the poor boy come. It'd be rude of me just to send him off. Now, when's this thing supposed to start?"

"Pretty soon," Bob answered, "I think the council representative was waiting for you."

As if on cue, a council member called all the masters to a small stage that had been erected just for the meeting.

"Gohan," Makarov said, "I want you to familiarize yourself with these masters. You're abilities allows almost instant communication with anyone anywhere, and I have the feeling we may need that."

"This is the reason you brought me." Gohan observed.

"One of the two." Makarov replied, "You'll find out the other during the meeting."

Gohan nodded and joined the crowd with Makarov.

"I can't believe it!" one of the attending masters said, "An entire village wiped out, and it was kept quiet?!"

"You must understand," the humanoid frog that was the council rep. said, "We can't afford a mass panic across the land. There were several witnesses far enough from the village to survive their injuries, each one saying that a massive dragon destroyed it in one shot; and those witnesses volunteered their silence, feeling the same way as the council does. That being said, there is now only a crater where that border village stood, and we can't ignore that."

"What would you have us do?" another master called out, "Should we go out there blindly aiming to pick a fight with Acnologia? From what I heard, Fairy Tail's best couldn't even scratch him!"

"That was seven years ago." Blue Pegasus' Bob replied, "Now they're stronger than ever before. If any group could ever take that thing down, it'd be them. They've got four dragon slayers after all."

"That means nothing!" another random master cried out, "We've seen them fight dragons before, and they barely hurt them. Acnologia is supposed to be a hundred times stronger!"

"He's right." Another voice added, "We only got lucky after the Grand Magic Games."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" the confused council representative questioned, "Dragons at the Grand Magic Games?"

"Oh, now you've done it." Goldmine sighed, "Someone fix his memory now, and make sure his guards are taken care of too."

"What are you-?!" the frog man demanded as a group of wizards pulled him off the stage, "Release me at once! The council will hear of this!"

"No they won't." someone told him as he was carried from the room.

"Now that the council's out the room, do you have anything for us, Maky?" Bob asked, bringing the room's attention to the two from Fairy Tail.

"I don't know, maybe." Makarov answered, "What do you think, Gohan?"

"What?" Gohan said surprised, "You're asking me for advice?"

Murmurs of wonder as to who Gohan was went through the crowd.

"This is ridiculous!" Ooba exclaimed, "You're asking some new guild wizard that's not even allowed here for advice?"

Exclamations came from the crowd, "He's not allowed here?", "He's not a master?!", "New?!"

"Be quiet and listen to Makarov." Quatro Cerberus' master said, "He is the leader of the number one guild, so let's hear what he has to say."

"Thank you, Goldmine." Makarov began, "This is Gohan, and to be honest, he only joined Fairy Tail last night."

Another wave of whispers went through Makarov's audience.

"That being said, Gohan in the same night easily defeated the dragon slayers Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox while still seriously holding back."

This time, the crowd's mood seemed to start showing curiosity and interest.

"I decided to bring Gohan here because his power is something no one else in all of Earthland has. You won't be able to sense any magical strength from him, but you will all see it. I think he may be able to defeat Acnologia."

"That's horse crap and you know it!" a young voice cried out from the crowd.

The speaker shoved his way past people until he was standing in front of Makarov and Gohan. Standing in front of them was Sting Eucliffe, Master of Sabertooth. He was wearing the same outfit he had worn at the Grand Magic Games, and his reptilian blue eyes shown with anger at Makarov's statement.

"The only person that can kill a dragon is someone that uses dragon magic!" Sting declared, "I admit that Rogue and I were easily beaten, and I'm greatly impressed by someone that can defeat Salamander and Black Steel Gajeel; but that is how things are."

"I do think you are right, Sting." Makarov sighed, "I didn't say he would kill Acnologia, though. I'm suggesting that he'll be able to weaken him enough for all the dragon slayers to be able to finish him off."

"So your plan is a coordinated attack, Maky?" Bob asked.

"I doubt there's anyone strong enough for that." Sting said, "What makes you think he's so special?"

"I think Gohan can win because he is a God."

Statements and murmurs of disbelief went around the room as Gohan realized he was here to show off.

"Show them, Gohan."

"Gladly." Gohan replied. He began to power up as a field of energy radiated a blue light around him. Tables and chairs in the room began to levitate as Gohan took his time gathering ki, deciding to show off rather than just change.

"You guys better brace yourselves. I apologize ahead of time for any injuries you may receive." Gohan said, "Oh, and Sting, was it? Natsu used some strange form to fight me that had some strength. It may be able to keep you on your feet for this."

"You talk big," Sting replied as he activated his dragon force, "But I haven't seen anything yet."

Gohan smirked before he began yelling. The building's windows shattered and its doors broke open. His power shoved everyone over and a few feet away except for Sting and Makarov. Sting was brought to one knee while Makarov had to physically push back to stay on his own two feet.

Sting stared in awe as he felt too tired to maintain his dragonforce. He returned to normal and sat back as Gohan's energy finally stopped pushing. Sting looked at Gohan and saw that Gohan's eyes and hair had changed to red, and an aura of red light lit up the whole room. Gohan smirked when his eyes met Sting's.

Goten and Natsu were leaning back in their seats while Happy lay back on a cleared part of the table, stuffed from eating all the food Mr. Yajima had asked them to try. The girls were seated across from them. Lucy and Charle shook their heads when they looked at the three but Wendy just giggled. Pan was giggling at her uncle's expression while Lucy held her. Everyone had tried each course they were given, but leave it to Natsu to make an eating contest out of it. To everyone's surprise, Goten had won and continued eating after. At each plate, Lucy, Wendy, and Charle had told Yajima what they thought; but Goten, Natsu, and Happy had eaten everything before saying what they thought. Lucy and Charle were genuinely surprised when the boys had reviewed each plate somewhat intelligently. Yajima had left for a moment to go talk with his kitchen staff while the group rested.

"I'm so happy we can fly back." Natsu declared as he patted his bloated gut, "Cause I sure wouldn't want to lose this lunch."

"Aye." Happy agreed with a sigh of content.

"The food was quite enjoyable." Charle said, getting an agreeing nod from Lucy.

"We saved a good bit of time thanks to Goten." Lucy stated.

"Maybe we could use the time to look around town." Wendy suggested, "Isn't Lamia Scale nearby?"

"That's not too bad of an idea." Lucy replied, "We could go by Margaret Town and pay them a visit."

"Or you could just look over here." A familiar voice said as everyone turned to see Lyon Vastia and Chelia Blendy.

"Oh, hi!" Lucy greeted as Lyon and Chelia came up to the table.

"We were in town and heard that some Fairy Tail wizards were having an eating contest, so we decided to investigate." Lyon explained as he stood next to the table.

"It's so great to see you, Wendy." Chelia said as Wendy got up to greet her.

"I'd ask for a fight," Natsu told Lyon, "But I'm a little too stuffed at the moment."

"That's too bad." Lyon replied with a grin, "I needed something for a change of pace."

The ice mage looked around the table before asking, "Aren't Gray and Erza a part of your team? Where are they?"

"They're off doing another job." Lucy answered while Chelia and Wendy quietly chatted.

"I see." Lyon said before turning to Goten, "Forgive me, but I don't think we've met. My name is Lyon."

"I'm Goten." The demi-Saiyan greeted with a smile, "And I just joined Fairy Tail."

"And this is your little sister or something?" Lyon asked as he gestured to Pan.

"Pan here is Goten's niece." Lucy said, "His older brother and his friend joined with him."

"All three of them are really strong." Natsu informed the ice mage, "As much as I hate to admit it, Goten's brother knocked me and Gajeel out pretty easily."

"Really?" Lyon said with a hint of amusement, "I would have enjoyed seeing that."

"It was a pretty cool fight." Goten added.

"Hey, Goten, why don't you fight Lyon?" Natsu asked.

"You aren't serious?" Lucy questioned as everyone turned to Natsu.

"Sure I am." Natsu said, "Lyon said he was bored, and Goten could easily take him, couldn't you?"

"I don't know, maybe." Goten replied, "I don't really know anything about him, so I couldn't really know."

"Are you afraid?" Lyon teased.

"No." Goten answered with a smile, "I think a fight would be fun."

"Well then," Lyon said, "Let's begin!"

Without warning, Lyon swung his arm, sending birds made of ice crashing into the table. Everyone sitting and standing nearby quickly dived out the way.

"What's the big idea?!" Lucy demanded as she made sure Pan was alright, "Couldn't you have at least waited for us to move?!"

"Sorry, but I wanted to see your friend's reflexes." Lyon explained as he stared down Goten, "And they are excellent."

"That wasn't very nice." Goten told Lyon, "You could have hurt someone."

"I have full confidence that Fairy Tail wizards could handle a little ice." Lyon half-joked, "Besides, I'm not known for my kindness."

"Before this gets any crazier," Chelia interrupted as she and Wendy walked past Lyon, "Wendy and I are going to take a walk around town."

Lyon nodded as Chelia and Wendy continued walking past Goten. Wendy turned to Goten before leaving.

"Be careful, Goten." She told him.

"There's nothing to worry about." Goten assured her. She nodded and followed Chelia away.

Lucy, Pan, and Natsu stood a few feet away while Happy and Charle hovered nearby. Charle eyed the two teens as they spoke, but she said nothing.

"I know Fairy Tail has a reputation for destroying everything they come across," Lyon said, "So let's try to keep the collateral to a minimum."

"I'm not sure I know what collateral means," Goten replied, "But I think I know what you're saying. Don't worry, I'll barely use any of my power for this."

"You're very confident." Lyon taunted, "You may end up regretting that."

"Ice-Make Eagle!" Lyon shouted as he pointed at Goten. A swarm of ice eagles appeared and flew at Goten. Phasing in and out, Goten dodged every projectile. Goten appeared in front of Lyon, who quickly made a shield and jumped back. Goten's punch easily shattered the ice as Lyon made a sword to slash it at Goten. Goten leaned back and caught the blade with his right hand. He quickly broke the ice by tightening his grip, causing Lyon to show some surprise. Goten just smiled and waited for Lyon's next move.

"Aren't you going to attack?" Lyon asked, wondering why Goten didn't take the opportunity he had.

"Nah, I want to see what else you can do first." Goten answered.

"Alright." Lyon responded, "Ice-Make Ape!"

Behind Goten appeared a massive blue-green gorilla.

"Cool!" Goten said as he jumped on top of it. The ape appeared as confused as Lyon.

"So you can make any animal with ice?" Goten asked as he tapped the ape's forehead while leaning over its head.

"That's… right…" Lyon replied as Goten continued to look over the mobile ice sculpture.

After a moment, Lyon regained his focus. He swung his arm, and the ape reached over its back in an attempt to grab Goten. Goten jumped down just before it could grab him, unknowingly dodging Lyon's attack.

"Can you make dogs too?" Goten asked, not realizing Lyon or the ape's frustrations. Natsu and Happy were on the ground laughing at Lyon's expression.

"I'd make one for a pet." Goten told Lyon.

"That sounds nice and all," Lyon replied with a tone of irritation, "But the longer my ice has form, the more my magic drains."

"Oh, okay." Goten said.

The two carried on for at least half an hour. Lyon would create an animal to attack Goten, who would compliment the sculpture in some way or another and then dodge its attacks. Each time, Lyon would seem to get angrier and try harder to hit Goten, who was much too fast.

"Aren't we fighting?!" Lyon exclaimed, finally getting too annoyed, "Ice-Make Dragonfly!"

As Lyon swiped his arm, dozens of large dragonflies appeared, moving in random directions to hit Goten. The ape also tried to hit Goten by swinging an arm at him, but he easily jumped over it. The dragonflies came at him from all directions, giving Goten no way out; despite his speed. The dragonflies flew straight through him, causing Lucy and Charle to gasp. They became confused when they saw Goten fade away.

"Up here!" Goten called out. Lyon and the spectators looked up to see Goten unharmed and smiling.

"That was my after-image trick." Goten explained, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Take this seriously!" Lyon demanded angrily as the ape crumbled.

The smile Goten had on his face went away.

"Are you sure you want that?" Goten warned him.

Natsu suddenly began to worry for Lyon. This was just like Gohan's warning to him.

"Lyon should stop fighting." Natsu said quietly to his fellow spectators as he sat up, "He's already used a good bit of magic. If he over does it; and if Goten attacks, he may get seriously hurt."

"Yes, I do!" Lyon insisted, "Now fight me! Ice-Make Snow Dragon!"

Goten watched as the dragon erupted from the ground, making a straight rush towards him. He shifted quickly to his left, dodging it. The dragon wrapped around, trying to bite its target. Goten quickly dropped in altitude, reaching the ground a moment later. The ice dragon followed him as Lyon continued his assault.

"Ice-Make Snow Tiger!"

A tiger three times the size of any regular one appeared in front of Goten, swiping a claw at him. Goten tried to jump up to dodge, but water from the melted ape made him slip.

"Oops!" Goten said as he fell backwards, still managing to dodge the tiger's claw; but the dragon behind him managed to close its jaw around him and smash through the tiger. Since the ice was opaque, no one could see if Goten was alright. The ice mage wiped the sweat off his forehead and was about to celebrate when a yellow light shone from inside the dragon.

"What the?" Lyon said.

The next moment, the dragon shattered, scattering ice everywhere. Where the dragon once was, a yellow-haired and turquoise-eyed Goten now hovered.

"Not bad." Goten said with a grin, "You almost ripped my shirt."

"What are you?" the ice mage asked.

Ignoring his opponent's question, Super Saiyan 2 Goten grinned and then disappeared.

The Ascended Saiyan appeared behind Lyon and chopped his neck. The next moment, Lyon's eyes went white as he fell to his knees and then forward onto his face. Goten appeared next to Natsu and Lucy. He powered down, letting his hair and eyes return to its normal color.

"That was awesome!" Natsu cheered.

"Is Lyon going to be alright?" Lucy asked, worried since he wasn't moving.

"He should be." Goten answered, "I didn't hit him too hard."

"You took him out in one hit!" Charle argued, "You had to hit him very hard to do that!"

"No," Natsu replied, "Lyon was using too much magic; and by the time Goten hit him, he was already too worn out. If Goten wouldn't have attacked, Lyon was going to do that to himself."

"Yay, Uncle 'Ten!" Pan cheered as she hopped from Lucy's arm to hug him, "I knew that meanie couldn't beat you!"

"Thanks, Pan." Goten said with a grin as he rubbed the back of his neck with one arm while the other held Pan.

"I guess we ought to bring him back to his guild." Charle said.

"Aye." Happy agreed. Natsu walked over to lift Lyon over his right shoulder.

"I'll go find Wendy and Chelia and tell them what happened." Lucy said, leaving in the same direction that Wendy and Chelia did. Natsu nodded and began walking with everyone else following. A few minutes later, Lyon began to stir.

"Errr…" Lyon said as he woke up. Natsu eased him down and helped him remain standing.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked.

"I'm fine, just a little shaken up." the ice mage replied; but when he tried to stand on his own, he began to fall forward.

"It doesn't look like it." Charle said as Natsu caught Lyon.

"I'll be fine." Lyon insisted, "Just give me a moment."

Natsu nodded and lowered Lyon to let him sit.

"You held back that entire time." Lyon said, "Even that attack was pulled back. I realize I was a fool to demand your full power. I could have been killed."

"I wouldn't have let that happen." Goten told him, "But it's good to see you're awake so quickly. I was worried you wouldn't be up for me to tell you that I had fun."

Lyon chuckled, "You are something different. But, yes, I guess that was a little fun. Even if I was humiliated thoroughly."

"Let me see if I can help you." Goten said, closing his eyes after setting Pan down. He focused for a moment before opening his eyes and placing a hand on Lyon's shoulder. Lyon watched Goten with some confusion, but strangely began to feel some strength in his legs.

"Did you just heal me?"

"No." Goten explained, "I just gave you some of my energy to give you enough strength to walk. I never tried that before, so I don't know how much it'll help."

"Looks like it worked to me." Happy observed as Lyon slowly got up unaided.

"Thank you." Lyon said.

"No problem." Goten replied with a smile as he picked Pan back up.

"I guess I should head over to my guild so I can get some rest." Lyon stated.

"We're going to come with you to make sure you don't run out of strength along the way." Natsu said.

"If you insist." Lyon joked, "I'm sure some from Lamia Scale would be glad to see you. And I think they'd also like to meet Goten."

"Let's get going then." Natsu said, "Lead on, Lyon."


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Dark Guilds

"Remind me again why we're out here by a camp fire rather than flying or taking a train back to Magnolia?" Lucy complained.

"Because this is where the dark wizard was last seen." Natsu answered.

Earlier:

Natsu and company had been welcomed warmly by Lamia Scale, and the guild had been surprised to hear the result of Lyon's fight with Fairy Tail's newest member. After getting over their surprise at that bit of news, the wizards of Lamia Scale invited Natsu and his friends to stay around to wait for Lucy and Wendy. The wizards that met Natsu and Lyon's group at the door were Yuka and Toby. Inside was Jura Neekis, who also was surprised to hear of Lyon's fight. Jura looked as if he had just returned to the hall himself.

The group waited for Wendy, Chelia, and Lucy to arrive inside the main entrance of the guild hall. The three arrived shortly after the others had settled in, and Wendy and Chelia quickly healed Lyon, both apologizing for not being there sooner. The Fairy Tail wizards were enjoying their time with the wizards of Lamia Scale when Mr. Yajima came through the front doors. He reminded them that they left without getting their payment. Feeling foolish, the four Fairy Tail wizards gladly took their pay and apologized for the table being damaged.

"Oh, don't be silly." Mr. Yajima said, "That's coming out of Mr. Vastia's pocket."

Lyon sighed and paid up while Jura started talking with Yajima.

"Goten, your first job's finally finished!" Wendy reminded him, "Congratulations!"

"So this was your first job?" Lyon asked Goten, who nodded, "Well then I guess you should celebrate it. Allow me to buy the four of you dinner tonight to make up for my rudeness today."

"You don't have to do that." Lucy replied.

"I insist."

"Who am I to turn down some free grub?" Natsu said with a grin, "This is turning out to be the best day ever."

"Aye, Sir!" Happy added.

"I guess I'll have something." Lucy sighed while Charle just shook her head.

Jura also invited Yajima to eat with them, who agreed to join them after a moment's thought. After that, Lyon and Jura led the group to the main dining room, where they would wait a while before getting dinner. There were a number of rows of tables lined up similarly to Fairy Tail's dining hall, but the scale was slightly smaller. Lyon took the nearest table that seated eight and sat at the far side with Jura and Yajima on his right. Natsu sat across from Lyon with Happy landing on the table in between. Lucy sat on Natsu's left with Goten left of her. Chelia took the other seat next to Goten, making Wendy go around to sit across from her as Charle landed on the table between the two girls. Toby and Yuka went about their own business, saying goodbye as they left for a job. Pan sat on Goten's lap quietly.

A couple hours passed with conversation about the Grand Magic Games, the fight after, and many other things less serious. At one point, Chelia had pulled Wendy to another table to say something. Goten noticed, and wondered what they were saying. He thought it was weird that Chelia giggled when they looked back at him, but food was mentioned; so he turned his attention to figuring out what he wanted.

As everyone had finished eating, Jura suddenly seemed serious and asked Natsu and Yajima to come with him. He led the two out the dining area and stopped when he was sure no one was nearby to hear.

"Sorry to pull you away from the fun, but I figure I should share my concern with you." He said quietly.

"It's fine." Natsu replied, "What's up?"

"I was returning from a job in the capital, and the entire way I felt as if I was being watched. When I made camp last night in a small forest just east of Hargeon, I did see something or someone watching me; but they vanished the moment I gave chase. If it was a person that had been following me, it's a good chance they'll be keeping an eye on this area. That's if I'm not being paranoid."

"Hm." Yajima said thoughtfully, "I did hear from a friend that lives in Crocus recently about rumors of a new dark guild's activity. I think it would be hard to connect your encounter with these rumors right now, but I do feel there must be some form of precaution."

"My team and I can go out and check out your camp site, Jura." Natsu concluded, "We'll go as soon as everyone's finished eating."

"You do not have to do this." The wizard Saint replied, "I planned on doing the investigating myself. I was just warning you of a possible danger."

"Don't be ridiculous." Natsu told him, "If you are still being watched, there's no way you'll ever get near whoever is watching you. My nose, ears, and eyes are stronger than yours; and whoever was watching you may not even expect my team's involvement."

"That's a big maybe." Yajima, "But I do agree. Your keen senses would be more helpful in catching any kind of spy or scout."

Jura nodded as Natsu finalized his decision. As soon as the other Fairy Tail wizards finished eating and were given mats and blankets for camping, they made for the camp where they were currently located. After they set camp, the sun had begun to go down; so Natsu quickly made a fire while everyone else set up the sleeping mats given to them by Lamia Scale. Natsu sat at the fire's six o'clock, eyeing the direction Jura thought his stalker was hiding in, with Happy just to his right. Goten sat across the fire from Natsu, electing to watch over everyone while Natsu monitored their surroundings. Wendy, who was laying on the fire's nine o'clock, wanted to help watch too; but everyone insisted she get her rest. They'd need her support magic at full power if any worse case scenarios occurred, though they thought that case to be unlikely. Charle curled up next to Wendy and the two quickly were asleep under their blanket. Pan fell asleep next to Goten, who gave up his gear entirely to make sure she was comfortable. Happy asked if it was okay to sleep, and finally did when Natsu nodded. Lucy was laying across the fire from Wendy; but try as she might, she couldn't go to sleep.

After what felt like an hour, the air in the forest became cold. Lucy was jealous of the four that were sleeping, because now she was too cold to bother trying to sleep. Giving up, she sat up.

"Why aren't you going to sleep?" Natsu asked her.

"I just feel uneasy about the whole thing." Lucy told him as she caught herself from shivering.

"We're just doing our friends a favor, Luce." Natsu said, "There may not be anything to worry about."

"With our luck, I seriously doubt that." Lucy replied. Natsu laughed quietly.

"I can't feel anyone's energy nearby except ours if that makes you feel better." Goten informed them, "I'll know if someone gets near us."

"You see, Luce, with Goten's abilities and our heightened senses, we'll know if there's anything to worry about before it can even get near us." Natsu assured her, "Now go ahead and get your beauty sleep."

"Alright." Lucy said as she laid back, "But you're not funny."

A few minutes passed as Goten and Natsu continued their watch. Natsu told Goten to go ahead and grab a short nap after Goten yawned. The demi-Saiyan didn't want to, but Natsu reasoned with him until he reluctantly agreed. After Goten laid down in the dirt, he almost instantly began to snore.

"Still awake, huh?" Natsu said aloud after a minute or two.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Lucy asked, surprised he noticed.

"I can hear your teeth chattering."

"They are not. And I'm not cold." Lucy lied as she shivered.

"You don't have to try to act tough around me, Luce." Natsu told her. After a moment he said, "Actually, come over by me."

"Why?" Lucy wondered aloud.

"Because I don't want you to get sick." Natsu explained, "Now come here."

Lucy got up and dragged her sleeping gear to be by Natsu. He told her to lie between him and the fire. She lined her sleeping mat along his as he instructed. Natsu increased his body heat so that Lucy was now between two decent sources of heat. She laid down and turned on her side to face the fire before closing her eyes. After a moment, the celestial wizard's shivering ceased and she was comfortable.

"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy said quietly as she finally felt drowsy. She fell asleep the next moment. Natsu looked around as he sat by Lucy, trying to listen for any strange sound or to detect any strange scents. He took a break from looking around to look at Lucy. He didn't really know why, but the way she looked as she slept made him want to watch her. The peaceful expression she had nearly made him forget why he was out here. He saw her eyebrow twitch in irritation when a light wind moved some hair onto her forehead. Not really thinking about it, he lowered his right hand and moved the small lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. She smiled in her sleep, making Natsu smile as well.

_You know,_ He began to think, _Seeing her like this makes me-_

His thoughts were cut off as he saw a shadow move across the treeline behind Goten.

"Hey, Goten." Natsu whispered, trying not to wake everyone up.

"What's up?" Goten replied slowly as he woke.

"Do you feel anything near us?" asked quietly.

"Ummmm." Goten said as he closed his eyes and focused. His brows furrowed to show slight confusion.

"What is it?"

"It's weird." Goten explained, also keeping his voice down, "It sort of feels like a person is very close, but it doesn't feel complete. It doesn't seem friendly either."

Natsu thought about the fleeting glimpse he caught of the shadow, and then developed a theory.

"What's bothering me is that I can't smell it at all. Goten, if this thing is what I'm guessing it is; we don't want to go into the woods chasing it blindly." Natsu informed him, "But we still need to find out for sure."

"I'll go look for it." Goten volunteered, "I can use my energy sense to track it and maybe get the drop on it. If it is a person, I'll bring them back. Stay here and watch everyone."

After a moment of thought, Natsu agreed to Goten's plan. Goten moved fast enough to leave an after image, hoping that would give him a slight window to catch whoever or whatever was watching them off guard. Goten floated a couple dozen feet above the camp site, looking into the forest surrounding it. He saw a shadow move along the edge of the tree line, now placing itself behind Natsu. Goten slowly lowered himself to be just behind where he saw the movement stop, and felt the strange energy to be in the bush right in front of him.

Goten's after image faded, and the bush seemed to stir as the stalker became confused. Goten saw someone inside it was wearing a dark, hooded cape.

"Behind you." Goten whispered before becoming confused when he saw the face of the stranger. It had no face, just two red emotionless eyes; and when he looked down, Goten saw that it also had no legs.

"Are you a ghost?" Goten asked, getting nothing in response.

The creature dove through Goten, giving him a strange sensation, but not harming him. Seeing it couldn't harm him, the strange encounter ended as the apparition faded away.

"That was weird." Goten said to himself as he began to return to the camp site.

"I heard you talking to it." Natsu said as the demi-Saiyan came up, "You were never going to get a response."

"How do you know that?" Goten asked as he moved back to his spot by Pan and the fire.

"I've seen that kind of magic before. What happened?"

"It tried to attack me by going through me; but whatever it was trying to do didn't seem to work, so it left."

Natsu considered their situation for a moment, then reached a conclusion.

"Well, there's nothing more we can do right now." Natsu declared, "Having discovered it has a weakness, it won't return until it figures out why it couldn't hurt you. I think we should both get some sleep and tell everybody what happened in the morning."

Goten agreed, and the two finally laid down. Goten moved close to Pan to make sure she stayed warm while Natsu keep a small space between himself and Lucy as he lay on his back. Finally settled in, the last of the group fell asleep.

Trunks woke up the next morning ready and eager to get to work. He put on the same clothes he wore yesterday since he cleaned them before going to sleep. He grabbed his sword and secured it to his back as he exited his bedroom. Everyone else was up and ready to go, so as soon as Trunks said he was ready; the four went out the house. Trunks capsulized the house while Erza's luggage cart was still inside. He assured her everything inside was fine and safely stored, and said to just remind him to de-capsulize everything later. With that, Gray, Erza, Juvia, and Trunks headed into Crocus to meet their client.

There was a small tavern that sat in the southern shadow of Mecurius, the royal palace. Only a few blocks from it, it seemed a suspicious place for a rendezvous; but this is where the job sheet told them to go. The four entered the tavern and waited for an indication of who their client was. After a moment, the bartender told them to go to the back room to meet their client. Beginning to feel uneasy about the whole affair but seeing no other options, Erza led her comrades into the poorly lit room; she could tell that there were at least two people waiting for them.

"Sorry for all the cloak and dagger stuff." A friendly young woman's voice said to them, "But I didn't want anyone aware of my involvement."

A couple of lacrima glowed, revealing a girl with long green hair and bright green eyes sitting at the far end of a horizontally long table. Sitting on her right was another familiar face, a dark skinned man with wild black hair, pointed beard, and a very pointy nose. Both had dark brown cloaks on with their hoods lowered.

"Princess Hisui?" Erza said in surprise, "And Arcadios? You are our clients?"

"Yes." The princess replied as the knight nodded, "I'm sorry if the whole meeting plan wasn't too troubling."

"No, not at all." Erza assured.

"Please, sit." The princess said as she gestured to the chairs on the opposite end of the table. There were exactly four seats.

"I know Erza, Juvia, and Gray; but I'm afraid I don't think I've met you." Hisui told Trunks, "What is your name?"

"My name is Trunks, your majesty; and I only just joined Fairy Tail." Trunks answered with a slight bow.

"How long were we being watched?" Gray asked as he sat down with his friends. From left to right sat Trunks, Juvia, Gray, and then Erza.

"Since yesterday evening." Arcadios answered.

"You don't trust us?" Erza commented.

"It's nothing like that." Hisui explained, "We wanted to make sure you were safe."

She noticed the confused look on the four, so she continued, "We were worried others might have been watching you. Part of the reason we put out the job was to see what kind of reaction we would get."

"From who?" Juvia questioned.

"We're not exactly sure." Arcadios answered.

"That doesn't sound good." Gray half-joked.

"It isn't." the princess remarked, "A few days ago, a royal caravan was attacked. Every single guard that was with it was lost, along with the cargo. Some of the men were my personal guard."

"I'm sorry." Erza told them, "What was stolen?"

"Tax money and new lacrima." Arcadios informed them, "The lacrima were to replace our old security ones. And the money, well, there was a lot."

"How much are we talking here?" Gray asked.

"About fourteen million Jewels and a couple hundred lacrima." Hisui said, causing Gray, Juvia, and Trunks' eyes to widen, "The wagons were returning from collecting tax from several regions across Fiore when they were attacked.

"That's a big robbery." Gray remarked, "How come there was no news of this?"

"That's the issue." Arcadios explained, "The caravan was a complete secret, and the men guarding it were some of the best we had to offer. I personally selected the men, not one of them would have betrayed us."

"There have been some upsetting rumors coming from the seedier side of the city." Hisui said, and we think they are connected to the attack."

"What makes you say that?" Juvia asked.

"Some of the men guarding the convoy were mages," Arcadios answered, "And upon inspecting their bodies, they all showed signs of having their magic drained from them until they died."

"But what does that have to do with the rumors?" Gray questioned.

"The rumors say that there's a new dark guild that's been trying to recruit members." Arcadios continued, "Normally, I'd say this isn't unusual; but what's also said is that any wizard that refused to join had their magic taken from them before they were killed. Their aggressiveness makes me think they are planning something."

"So we know one of the culprits is capable of using Magic Drain." Erza replied, "Is that all?"

"I'm afraid not, and this is where the rumors become very concerning." Hisui said before looking directly at Juvia, "And knowing your history, this may be disconcerting for you."

"Why?" Juvia asked, growing worried.

"Because there's a claim that the wizard leading the dark guild is a former wizard saint." Arcadios answered, "We think it's Jose Porla."

Just outside Clover Town:

"Well, that went better than I expected." Makarov said cheerily as he and Gohan sat on their train back to Magnolia, "You put on a good show yesterday, Gohan."

"Thank you, Master." Gohan replied, "But I still think we should just instant transmit back to the guild hall."

"It would be a lot easier," Makarov agreed, "But I do enjoy these train rides. They give me time to think."

"What do you think about this Acnologia issue?" Gohan asked after he looked around to make sure no one would hear him, "Do you have any ideas on where to find him?"

"The best bet would be to look near the destroyed village first." Makarov said, "But we can't go hunting him until we've got our best team together, if not the whole guild."

"So let me get everyone together." Gohan insisted, "It would only be a couple minutes."

"No. We've got to let them finish their jobs first." Makarov reminded Gohan, "As soon as we get back to Fairy Tail, we'll wait for our dragon slayers to come back. Then we'll go looking for him."

"You don't think I'd be able to kill him myself?" Gohan asked.

"You may be able to." Makarov replied, "But when we find him, we may only get one chance to kill him. If you go alone and Sting is right, that may ruin our one chance."

Gohan nodded in agreement before asking, "What about Trunks and Goten?"

"I don't think we'll need their help." Makarov said, "But that's up to you."

Gohan nodded and looked out the window. The two sat for a while in silence while they thought.

"So when do you plan to tell everyone that your wife is here too?" Makarov asked.

"She doesn't want me to." Gohan replied, "She says she thinks something bad is going to happen, so she wants to investigate from a distance."

"Understandable, but I can sense the lying is hard for you, not to mention having to distance yourself from the one you love the most."

"It's not something I'm a big fan of." Gohan agreed, "But I'm also not new to keeping secrets. The people of Earth don't know how many times they've been saved by my family, and they probably never will."

"Well you don't have to worry about that here, my boy." Makarov replied, "Because when this is over, everyone in Earth Land will know what you did to save them."

Outside of Hargeon:

"You aren't serious?" Lucy said angrily as Natsu told her what happened last night. And here she thought the only issue she was going to have would be Happy telling everyone how he woke up to find Lucy and Natsu cuddled together asleep by the fire.

"I wish I wasn't." Natsu replied with a straight face, "But that's what Goten and I saw."

Goten nodded in agreement before Wendy spoke up.

"What's Phantom Lord?" she asked. Goten shrugged before Happy answered.

"They were a rival guild before they attacked us more than seven years ago." Happy explained.

"What happened?" Goten inquired.

"They were hired to take Lucy from us and bring her back to her family's home, so their master Jose used that job as an excuse to start a full on war with us." Natsu answered, "We beat them, Jose lost his wizard saint title, and the entire guild was disbanded."

"That's actually how we met Juvia and Gajeel." Lucy added, "They fought against us as members of Phantom, but I don't think they've heard from any of their old 'buddies' since then."

"So how do you know that it's Phantom Lord that was watching us?" Charle questioned.

"Because the shade Goten saw is made by the same magic their master uses." Happy informed her, "He uses dark magic."

"And I'm guessing he's finally gone full dark wizard." Lucy commented. "He must be what those rumors are about."

"It's great that we know who was watching us and all," Charle said, "But what are we going to do now?"

"We get to Fairy Tail as fast as we can." Natsu answered with fire burning in both his hands and eyes, "And then we go to war. Again."


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Holding Grudges

"I guess we'll have to put off our little hunting adventure." Makarov remarked quietly to Gohan as they sat outside Fairy Tail's guild hall, "Do you remember what Sting's energy felt like?"

Gohan nodded.

"Good." Makarov continued, "I want you to go to him and tell him what's happening as soon as we've spoken with the rest of the guild. Also make sure to tell him that we do not need help with this. This is our fight."

"Is there anything else you need me to do, Master?"

"Yes, actually." Makarov affirmed, "Can you tell me where Erza, Gray, Juvia and your friend Trunks are?"

Gohan closed his eyes and searched Fiore for Trunks' ki. As soon as he found them, he told the wizard saint.

"They're heading north out of the capital city, I think." Gohan said, "I'm still not familiar with the kingdom."

"That sounds about right." Makarov replied, "They're on their way to investigate Phantom Lord's old headquarters near Oak Town."

"How do you know where they're heading?" Gohan asked.

"This letter." Makarov replied, holding it for Gohan to see.

"When did you get that?" Gohan questioned, never seeing the Master receive the letter.

"While you were sleeping on the way back." Makarov answered, "First Class magical couriers are pretty impressive."

"Oh, okay." Gohan said, "Do you think they will find anything there?"

"I don't know, to be honest." Makarov explained, "Jose was always overconfident, so he could have foolishly decided to return there. Either way, I need you to go to Erza's team once you've talked to Sting. Bring all four of them back at once."

"What?" Gohan questioned with surprise, "Why?"

"Because I do not plan to attack any time soon." Makarov explained, "By Erza's account, Jose must be planning something. I want to find out what that is before we take him down."

"But what if his plan is already in motion?" Gohan added.

"If that's the case, is blindly attacking better?" Makarov quipped.

"No, but it is a gamble either way." Gohan remarked, "How do you plan on getting info on this Phantom Lord?"

"I know a couple of people that'll do the job just fine."

A minute later:

"C'mon gramps! What are we waiting for?!" Natsu demanded as fire danced from both his hands.

"You know why." Mirajane answered for Makarov, "We can't go fighting guilds without the council's permission. Even if they are a dark guild."

"That didn't stop us last time!" Natsu replied, "Remember what they did to the guild hall? To Levy, Jet, and Droy? Or Lucy?!"

"We all remember, Natsu." Mirajane told him, "But that's another reason we need to wait. The last time we ran in without thinking, Master nearly died and we had to retreat."

"I know." Natsu conceded, "But if they're up to something, I think-"

He stopped because Lucy grabbed his wrist.

"The waiting is hard for me too, Natsu." She said quietly as Natsu looked at her with some surprise, "I want to find Jose and make him pay just as much as you do. But we have to trust our friends first."

The flames in Natsu's hands died as he listened to Lucy. He didn't say anything in response; he only nodded.

"I couldn't have said that better myself, Lucy." Makarov complimented as he returned from the Data Storage Room. He hopped onto the corner of the bar that was near the doorway he just exited and walked to the middle of it.

"You are right in assuming Phantom Lord is up to something, Natsu." Makarov continued, "But I intend to find out exactly what that is before we attack."

"I tried to argue your point earlier, Natsu," Gohan added as he sat in front of Makarov, "Master is not going to change his mind."

"I know." Natsu conceded, "But they need to be stopped."

"And they will be." Makarov stated, "But for right now, we prepare and wait. Gohan, please bring our four scouts home."

"Yes sir." Gohan said before placing two fingers to his forehead and disappearing. After a moment, everyone else relaxed and turned back to their business.

"I'm gonna know how to do that one day." Goten declared proudly as he sat on a table with Pan in his lap.

"Like the world needs that." Charle remarked.

"I told you to be nice, Charle." Wendy said, turning in her seat to face Goten after scolding her Exceed friend, "Is it hard to learn?"

"Gohan said it wasn't, but he's way smarter than me." Goten answered, "If you mess up, my Dad said you could end up lost on some weird planet you've never seen before."

"Like you already have?" Wendy joked quietly, leaning towards Goten so only he could hear her.

"Yeah, you're right." Goten replied with a laugh, "But that wasn't Gohan's fault."

"What did you just tell him?" Charle asked with a demanding expression.

"It's nothing." Wendy replied, getting a raised eyebrow from Charle.

Romeo, who had been standing near Natsu and Lucy, saw Wendy and Goten whispering to each other and decided to join them.

"Hey, guys." He said as he moved to sit down next to Wendy's left.

"Oh great, now there are two of them." Charle joked to herself.

Ignoring Charle; Wendy and Goten greeted Romeo warmly.

"Not sitting by Natsu as usual, Romeo?" Wendy asked.

"Nah." Romeo replied, "Natsu's about to start looking for a fight."

"But don't you like fighting?" Charle questioned.

"Not as much as I like talking to Wendy." Romeo quipped.

"Stop it." Wendy said bashfully, trying to avoid showing her reddening face.

"At least this one's smart enough for smooth talking." Charle commented, "Though I don't know if that's worse or not."

"You're not helping, Charle." Wendy stated.

"I'm not trying to help." Charle retorted.

"Anyway," Romeo said, ignoring the girls' exchange, "How was the job you went on?"

"It was fun." Wendy answered, "The food was good, I met up with Chelia, and I can pay off my rent for next month."

"I loved it!" Goten declared.

"I'm amazed you were able to eat twenty-five meals." Wendy replied.

"Yeah, that flying made me a little hungry." Goten said with a laugh.

"That was 'a little hungry'?" Charle questioned as Gohan began to approach the table.

"Yep." Goten said, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning.

"You should see Goten when he's really hungry." Gohan commented as he neared them, "It really is something."

"Something disturbing I'd bet." Charle added, getting a warning glance from Wendy.

"I'll be in the Data Storage Room meditating." Gohan said as he turned to Goten, "Come talk to me when you get the chance."

"Okay!" Goten replied as Gohan turned and left.

"Where's Gray, Erza, Juvia, or Trunks?" Charle wondered aloud.

"Maybe he brought them straight to Master." Wendy suggested, "I haven't seen them yet either."

"Does your brother always command you like that?" Romeo asked, changing the subject.

"Only when there's something important to talk about." Goten explained, "I should probably go see what's up."

Gohan closed the door to the Data room just before Goten wrapped up his conversation. When Goten came into the room, Gohan had already cleared a space and was sitting cross-legged in front of a communication lacrima.

"What's up, Gohan?" the younger demi-Saiyan asked as he got closer.

"You didn't tell me how your job went yet." Gohan said as he kept his eyes closed.

"It was awesome." Goten replied, "They gave me tons of really good food, and then this guy that could make ice pets came and wanted to fight for fun."

"You didn't hurt him did you?" Gohan questioned.

"No. I held back like you did." Goten answered, "But you should have seen his magic. It was really cool!"

"I'm sure it was." Gohan remarked with a smirk before opening his eyes, "How much did you make for the job?"

"Oh!" Goten said as he dug through his pockets. He had forgotten entirely that he had been paid.

"Here it is." The teen said as he found the money and handed it to Gohan, "I think that's 100,000 Jewels?"

"Seems like it." Gohan said after he counted the bills and handed it back to Goten, "Make sure you ask Gray who you have to pay for the rent, then get it to them as soon as you can."

"I will." Goten replied. He stood next to Gohan for a moment before an important question came to mind.

"Hey, uh, Gohan?"

"What's up, Squirt?" Gohan asked.

"The other day, you said we shouldn't teach them how we fight and stuff…"

"I did." Gohan said.

"But…" Goten continued, now looking at the ground and scratching the back of his head, "I kinda already promised Wendy I'd teach her. It was before you said anything, so I didn't-"

"That's fine." Gohan interrupted his brother, who was slightly surprised.

"Really?" Goten said excitedly.

"Go ahead and teach her the basics." Gohan told him, "It'll be a good lesson for you. You've still got a lot to learn, but you know the simple stuff well enough. You have to start soon, though. We don't know how long we're going to be here. I know'd I'd hate to have to break a promise if I made one."

"Okay!" Goten replied as he began to run out the room, eager to tell Wendy the good news.

"Hey!" Gohan called out, making Goten stop halfway to the door, "We can't teach everyone how to fight, so be discreet if you can."

"Right." Goten said as he turned again to leave, but he stopped as he grabbed the door. He turned his head to Gohan before asking, "What's discreet mean?"

Gohan put his hand to his forehead with a weak laugh.

"You're joking, right?" Gajeel questioned. He looked over the rail to look down on the crowd on the first floor of the guild hall. He wondered what some of the others might say in response to the Master's current plan.

"Juvia is not entirely sure it'll work." Juvia added.

"I am not joking, and sure it will." Makarov replied, "Jose is fool enough to fall for it."

"Not if he knows about my involvement with Raven Tail." Gajeel stated, "I've probably already got the underground reputation as a spy. Worse, a traitor."

"But this is different." Makarov remarked, "You two already have a reason to join them. And with the old wounds he's probably nursing, Jose will be eager to have a team of spies in Fairy Tail. If not just to have members of his original guild with him."

"But what if he attacks us on sight?" Juvia asked, "What if he just calls us traitors?"

"What if he finds out we're spying for you?" Gajeel added, "I'm all for a fight, but Juvia and I can't take on a wizard saint and an entire guild alone. I'm not suicidal."

"You were able to convince my son that you weren't a threat very easily." Makarov said, "Jose, to be honest, is less in the way of intelligence than any member of Raven Tail. But if by some small chance something does go awry, all of Fairy Tail will come to your aid."

"It'll take you at least a day or two to get to us." Gajeel pointed out, "And by that time, we'd be a pile of rusted iron scrap sitting in a puddle."

"Not with Gohan's abilities." Makarov stated, "Gohan can routinely check on you, and he can also bring any number of people to one location instantly. He'd be able to tell if you got in trouble, and then he'd be just as quickly able to get you out of it. Though I severely doubt that his intervention will be necessary."

"But Juvia does not want to leave Gray-sama." Juvia insisted, "Even worse, pretend to hate him."

"I have an easy solution for that." Makarov said, "Take him with you."

"This is getting a bit ridiculous." Gajeel declared, "Juvia and I are already going to be under suspicion, but Gray has no ties to Phantom at all."

"Not yet." Makarov replied with a grin, "Call him, Gohan, and Lily up here."

"The cat too?" Gajeel questioned disbelievingly before turning to the rail. Looking over, he found Gray sitting by the bar with Erza and Trunks.

"Hey, walking popsicle!" Gajeel called out, "Gramps says get up here. And bring my cat and the new guy with you."

"We have names you know!" Gray shouted back before turning to find Lily and Gohan. After a moment of waiting, the three heard Gray call out to them.

"I can't find Lily, and Gohan's meditating!" Gray said.

"I don't care if he's taking a crap, get him up here!" Gajeel snapped back.

"What about-" Gray began.

"Forget the cat, I'll talk to him later." Gajeel interrupted, "Just go get the new guy."

"I'm surprised Gohan doesn't have a new nickname yet." Juvia teased, "You must still be recovering from your fight, Gajeel-kun."

"Whatever, I'm still trying to find a good name for him." Gajeel replied dismissively, "And don't call me that."

After a moment, Gray and Gohan walked up the stairs to join them.

"What's up?" Gray asked.

"Gramps here wants you to join Phantom Lord with us." Gajeel answered.

"What?!" Gray questioned.

"So Gray, Gajeel, and Juvia were the people you were referring to earlier?" Gohan questioned.

"At first, just Gajeel and Juvia, but-" Makarov began until interrupted.

"But Juvia doesn't want to leave her darling icicle behind." Gajeel teased, getting glares from Juvia on his left and Gray on his right.

"Is that the only reason?" Gray asked.

"That's the main one," Makarov answered, "But you are also a decent actor and could help sell Gajeel and Juvia's story."

"But everyone would know who I am." Gray remarked, "They'd remember me from back then, if not the Grand Magic Games. Besides, I have no good reason to betray Fairy Tail; or to even act it out."

"Yes, you do." Makarov replied, getting looks of confusion from the entire group.

"Gohan, I have something important for you to do; and then you can return to meditating." Makarov said, turning to the demi-Saiyan, "Go reveal to Erza and Mirajane how you discovered that Gray and Juvia have been secretly dating since the Grand Magic Games."

"Juviiin!"

"What?!"

"Um," Gohan replied as he rubbed his ears, trying to get his hearing back, "Okay."

"Don't even-" Gray warned as he turned to face an already missing Gohan. Erza's shout of "How do you know this?!" and the clattering of empty cups dropped by Mirajane came from the first floor.

"I'm going to kill him." Gray declared. Juvia began to fall as she passed out until Gray caught her and set her down.

"Good luck trying to do that." Gajeel scoffed as he laughed at the two's situation, "But, you did ask for a reason to join Phantom."

"I don't like this." Gray declared weakly as he sat on the floor next to Juvia.

"You're right." Gajeel laughed, "You're supposed to act like you love this."

Gajeel made a suggestive gesture towards Juvia, getting Gray to stand up.

"Gohan isn't the only one that can kick your ass." Gray threatened.

"You're right," Gajeel replied, "There are a few, but you do not fall into that list, Ice Queen. So sit back down by your girlfriend and be good."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Gray declared, irritated but surprised Gajeel would casually admit that anyone could beat him.

"She is for now." Makarov scolded with a hint of irritation in his voice, "Now listen to me. Everything that I've heard recently makes me feel uneasy about Jose resurfacing. He's been around for seven years in the shadows, but for some reason he's suddenly become more aggressive. We need you to find out what is going on. As soon as you do that, we will take them down; and all of Phantom Lord will be shut down for good. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Master." Gray and Gajeel said simultaneously.

"Good." Makarov replied cheerily, "From here on out, you will begin your act. Gray, that means as soon as Juvia's awake, you and her will deal with what's waiting for you downstairs. After that, you three and Lily will leave here undetected by the rest of your guildmates to defect to Phantom. Once there, you will do whatever Jose asks of you. After you're in and you learn what we need to know, Gohan will know and alert me. After that, we go to war; and with you in their ranks, defeating them will be much simpler. Then you can go back to enjoying life before this whole ordeal."

"I still think this is ridiculous." Gajeel retorted before jumping over the rail.

"There are stairs, you know!" Gray said sarcastically before kneeling down by Juvia.

"You know you're gonna owe me for this." Gray stated.

"Maybe." Makarov replied, "But you never know, you may like your new relationship status."

"Doubt it." Gray remarked flatly before Juvia began to stir.

"Gray-sama?" she asked, "I just had the happiest dream."

"I'll leave you to it, then." Makarov said with a chuckle before walking past Gray and heading down stairs. He met Erza, Mirajane, and Lisanna at the bottom of the stairs before noticing that a majority of the guild was waiting for Gray and Juvia to come downstairs.

"Go easy on them." Makarov requested with a grin before heading to join Gohan in the Data Storage room.

A few minutes later…

"I can't believe Gray and Juvia are dating!" Lucy exclaimed as she watched Erza interrogate the couple.

"I don't know why they kept it a secret." Wendy added as she sat across from Lucy, "I mean, they're always together."

"But I thought that was just Juvia being obsessive." Lucy replied, getting a nod of agreement from Charle.

"Well, something changed that." Natsu stated before drinking more of his fire drink.

"Not like I really care." Natsu said after he cleared his throat, "I just hope Juvia doesn't get protective and lets him fight like usual."

"Is that all you really care about?" Lucy remarked, turning her head to give him a questioning look.

"Of course not." Natsu answered, "But I just don't find knowing who's dating who as interesting as fighting."

"So what do you find interesting besides fighting, Natsu?" Wendy asked.

"I don't know, food I guess." Natsu said, making Lucy shake her head with a sigh.

"And _Lucy_." Happy added teasingly.

"You're not funny, cat." Lucy quipped, not noticing Natsu's lack of denial.

"I like having fun." Goten chimed in across from Natsu.

"That's great and all," Charle replied, "But the entire question is what you do for fun. You can't just answer with 'having fun.'"

"Oh." Goten stated, "Well, being around friends is fun."

"I like being around Charle." Happy declared, getting Charle to turn her back to him.

"You're in _looooove_." Lucy teased.

"That's my bit, copycat!" Happy exclaimed.

"What do you do for fun, Wendy?" Natsu asked as he ignored his friends' usual squabble.

"Me?" Wendy questioned, "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Natsu replied, "Even I know everyone does something for fun."

"I guess being around friends is fun." Wendy stated, "I don't really do anything else."

"If she isn't here getting breakfast, lunch, dinner, or having to heal you," Charle said, "Wendy's busy doing jobs or getting her rest."

"But everyone gets bored." Lucy chimed up, "That's why I read and write."

"And day dream about Natsu." Happy added with a snicker.

"One more comment out of you, and I will have a new set of boots." Lucy warned.

"I don't think there's enough of me to make boots." Happy replied.

"Fine then, gloves?" Lucy asked, "Or maybe a hat?"

"I don't know if any of those would really sell." Charle joked, "I don't think blue is very appealing."

"We could give him to Juvia." Lucy replied with a grin.

"You don't like blue, Charle?" Happy questioned, devastated, "What color do you like best? I'll dye my fur! You like black don't you? Don't you know black cats are bad luck?"

"I heard that!" the six heard Lily shout from a few tables down. Everyone but Charle and Happy laughed.

"But seriously, Wendy," Lucy asked, "You don't have any kind of hobby at all?"

"Not… really, I guess." Wendy answered nervously.

"Well that settles it!" Natsu declared as he slammed down his now empty mug, "As soon as this Phantom mess is done, we're finding you a hobby!"

About an hour later at Fairy Fields…

Gajeel sat alone in his room, reminiscing as he sat on the edge of his bed while playing with a kunai he held in his right hand. On the table a few steps from his bed were two giant iron letters with chunks missing. One was an "I", and the other a lower half of an "O" that was in the shape of a heart before Gajeel had eaten half of it. He had grumbled a weak thank you when Levy had come by, and he felt somewhat upset with himself for rudely making her leave after she had just made him dinner. But she knew what kind of mood he'd be in, he told himself; she'd understand.

"So he's finally lost it completely." Gajeel said aloud to himself as he recovered his train of thought. He knew Jose was a rotten apple from the beginning, and looking back now; he regretted many of the things he did while he worked for Jose. But he had never thought his old master would turn to becoming a dark wizard. Gajeel assumed Porla learned his lesson the first time he was beaten. Gajeel knew he himself definitely did. But despite what he knew about Jose and all that had happened, Gajeel felt pity and a slight amount of sadness for the former saint. He was a father figure to him after Metalicana left, after all. Thinking about the dragon who raised him, Gajeel became more frustrated. He threw the kunai at the wall, making that the eighth one he'd thrown.

"You know you'd probably have a little more spending money if you didn't have to pay for repairs for that poor wall." Pantherlily joked as he made his presence known. Gajeel was so lost in thought he hadn't noticed his friend entering the room.

"Stow it, cat." Gajeel replied bitterly, "I'll do what I want when I'm thinking. And when did you get in here anyway?"

"Only just a minute ago." Lily answered, "Levy asked me to come check on you; she said you didn't seem to be taking the news well."

"Well you can go back to her and tell her I'm fine." Gajeel said gruffly as he made another kunai, "And tell her she should be worried about getting ready to fight instead of worrying about how I'm feeling."

"You don't seem fine." Lily remarked as the ninth kunai hit just below the eighth.

Gajeel made a "hmph" in response and got up to pull the kunai out the wall. He could have just made them disappear with his magic, but something about the feeling of pulling the kunai from the wood appealed to him.

"I know that you were in Phantom Lord before you joined Fairy Tail." Lily said, "And Levy told me you attacked the guild hall and started the whole war."

"That wasn't what started it. Did she tell you what I did after I destroyed the guild hall?" Gajeel replied, "I didn't try to fight Fairy Tail, I tried to beat them within an inch of their lives or worse. I did do that to shorty and her fan club, and then I tortured bunny girl; I didn't care that I could have killed her."

"But they forgave you and let you join them." Lily commented, "Though you still don't know why."

"I wouldn't have." Gajeel said, "If someone had done that to me or my family, I wouldn't have let them live."

"Yeah, you _wouldn't have_." the Exceed noted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're not the same person from before." Lily explained, "You may have been close to becoming like your old master once, but you didn't. And you've helped so many people since you joined Fairy Tail that it's hard to count them all."

"Are you done?" Gajeel asked as he turned to Lily.

"Not really." Lily replied, "But I'll stop anyway, since it really shouldn't be me talking to you right now."

"I don't want to hear it." Gajeel stated flatly as he picked up the iron "I" off the table before biting a chunk off the top.

"I won't push my luck." Lily said, "Let me know when we're ready to go. You know where to find me."

"Whatever." Gajeel bickered as the Exceed left the room.

Lily closed the door behind him as Levy came up behind him.

"Is he alright?" she asked as quietly as possible. Lily nodded.

"Should I try to talk to him?" she said. Lily shook his head.

"Stupid cat. What does he know?" Gajeel grumbled as he bit another chunk off his iron lunch. He finished eating the rest of the "I" before grabbing what was left of the "O". He looked at it for a moment with a thought.

"Agh, screw it." Gajeel said suddenly as he tossed the iron into his mouth and left the room.

Outside Fairy Fields…

"Well, today was interesting." Trunks declared as he and Gohan continued their walk. Gohan held a sleeping Pan in his left arm.

"It definitely was." Gohan replied, "Still is."

"I know what you mean." Trunks agreed, "I still can't believe I met the princess already."

"Already?" Gohan questioned, "You planned on meeting Fiore's princess before you left?"

"Yeah, I mean, I am a prince." Trunks answered, getting a chuckle from Gohan.

"Plan on marrying her or something?" Gohan joked.

"No." Trunks honestly responded while slightly blushing, "But I just wonder what actually ruling a kingdom looks like."

"There are kings and queens on Earth." Gohan reminded Trunks.

"Yeah, but they're boring." Trunks remarked, "And they barely do anything."

"They do a lot actually." Gohan replied, "But we kinda live apart from the rest of Earth. You know, with my family living so far from everyone and your family being unimaginably rich. Don't forget my grandpa is one of those boring kings that barely does anything."

"Oh yeah." Trunks said, "Sorry."

"I forgive you." Gohan stated, "But never forget to watch what you say. You're going to need tact for when you're running your mom's company. Or when you're talking to your girlfriend."

"I guess so." Trunks replied, his face reddening as Gohan chuckled.

"Hey," Trunks began, eagerly changing the subject, "What's Goten up to?"

Fairy Hills…

"If you didn't want to be the center of attention," Charle stated as Wendy walked towards her dresser, "You should have come up with something."

"I know," Wendy replied, "But I didn't want to lie to them, either."

"Well, you can't have the best of both worlds unfortunately." Charle remarked.

"It may not be that bad though." Wendy said, "I mean, it could be fun. Maybe you'll find something fun to do too."

"Do not try to drag me into this too." Charle replied, "The last thing I need- What the?"

A tapping on the window made Charle lose her train of thought. When she saw the source of the tapping, she became angry. Wendy momentarily wondered why Charle's mood had suddenly changed until she turned to also discover the source of their interruption.

"Goten?"


	14. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The New Phantom

Two Days Later…

"You look like you're thinking about something, Gajeel." Pantherlily said as he held his fish over the campfire, "Anything I can help with?"

"I'm thinking you're interrupting my thoughts." Gajeel replied gruffly.

"Found any kind of metal around here?" Lily asked, trying to get his friend to talk.

"It's a friggin' forest." Gajeel quipped, "What do you think?"

"I'm just asking." Lily said with a smirk. The two sat quietly while they thought.

"If we had brought Levy," Lily stated after a minute or two, "She could have made some iron for you the entire way."

"Shut up." Gajeel replied with a huff.

"I'm just saying," Lily pressed on, "Juvia got to bring Gray…"

"Would you at least change the subject if you're not gonna shut up?" Gajeel demanded.

"It's been a while since Juvia and Gray left." Lily observed, "Think they're okay?"

"I don't know about Ice Queen," Gajeel joked, "But Juvia's definitely more than okay."

The two grinned at the joke, but a movement behind Lily caught Gajeel's attention.

"What?" Lily questioned when he noticed Gajeel was looking past him. Gajeel sniffed the air, trying to pick any scent up. After not smelling any new scents around, he gave up and looked back to the fire.

"It's nothing." He declared, more to himself than Lily. For some reason, Gajeel felt uneasy being out here.

"I know that face, and it doesn't appear for 'nothing'." Lily said as he examined the iron dragon slayer, "What did you see?"

"It's not what I saw." Gajeel explained, "It's what I couldn't see."

"Well then," Lily tried again, "What didn't you see?"

"It's nothing to worry about." Gajeel said.

"Okay…" Lily remarked disbelievingly. Giving up on trying to talk, Lily went back to focusing on cooking. He couldn't help but notice Gajeel's constant glances around the tree line.

Not too far from the camp, Juvia and Gray continued their stroll through the forest.

"Juvia does love her alone time with her darling Gray." She thought aloud as she wrapped her left arm around Gray's right.

"You're thinking out loud again, Juvia." Gray said.

"I'm sorry," Juvia apologized, "But Juvia still can't believe she is dating Gray-sama."

"I can't believe it either." Gray remarked flatly.

"But, Juvia does think…" She started before trailing off. Gray looked at her

"What?" Gray asked, wondering what she was going to say.

"Juvia is happy that she can say she's dating Gray-sama," She explained, "But…"

"But what, Juvia?" Gray questioned.

"Juvia just doesn't want Gray-sama to feel like he has to date her." Juvia finally said, "Juvia wants Gray to be happy, instead of acting like he is."

Gray started to notice Juvia's saddening expression. It bothered him to see his friend looking so downcast, but he didn't really know what he should say.

"If it helps," Gray told her, "I don't blame you for this whole awkward situation. I don't blame the old man either."

"But it is all Juvia's fault." She protested, "Juvia said she didn't want to leave her Gray-sama's side. And now he's here, but he isn't happy and-"

"Screw Gramps and screw what you said!" Gray said pointedly as he made Juvia release his arm, "I'm here to help my friends. If I really didn't want to go, I wouldn't have."

"Gray-sama…" Juvia said quietly, feeling slightly better.

"Now, no more moping," Gray said, catching Juvia by surprise as he wrapped an arm around her and rested it on her shoulders, "And let's go join a dark guild."

Meanwhile on Earth…

"I still can't believe he let Trunks disappear like that!" Bulma vented as she paced back and forth in one of the many gardens inside Capsule Corp., "I mean, I'm glad to know Trunks is okay and all; but Vegeta is supposed to look out for him!"

"Bulma…" Yamcha replied, half-pleading, "You know Vegeta couldn't have done anything about Gotenks."

"Trunks is in serious trouble when he gets back, I swear!" Bulma continued on her tirade.

"If he's smart, he won't." Yamcha mumbled, hoping his fuming friend didn't hear him. He had only come by to ask Bulma for help in getting a dinner reservation at some five star restaurant. But he instantly regretted his choice to ask her now. He hadn't even got to ask for her help yet.

"I mean, you didn't even hear how Videl described this place to me." Bulma added, not having heard Yamcha's remark, "That whole planet sounds so barbaric, it's horrifying. They don't even have electricity!"

"Well, they do…" Bulma corrected herself, "But it's weird and-"

"How do they not have electricity and yet have electricity at the same time?" Yamcha asked, puzzled.

"They use magic, apparently." Bulma explained, "By what Videl told me, the whole planet is filled with magic."

"Really?" Yamcha questioned, slightly intrigued.

"She says that there are tons of wizards there, and wizard guilds for making money…" Bulma continued, "I didn't think I'd ever hear the word 'guild' again unless I was in a medieval history class! And these guilds are for nothing but people looking for fights! I just hope none of these wizards are like that Babidi."

"Sounds dangerous." Yamcha added, hoping Bulma would tire out soon.

"Videl says most of them are pretty weak though," she remarked, "I mean compared to our fighters anyway. She told me they don't know how to fly or use energy either."

"Huh." Yamcha commented as he started to develop an idea.

"No offense," Bulma said, "But Videl made it sound like you could take over that whole planet no problem."

"Thanks, Bulma." Yamcha replied sarcastically, though this new idea had him curious enough to shrug off the insult.

"Anyway, what did you come over to ask for?" Bulma finally asked, her tirade over.

"Oh, it's not important now." Yamcha answered before asking, "You said Videl is able to go from that planet to ours somehow?"

"Yeah," Bulma said, "There's a door by Goku and Gohan's houses that leads there. They apparently asked Shenron to put it there."

"Really?" Yamcha questioned again.

"Yeah, why?" Bulma affirmed.

"No reason." Yamcha quickly replied before turning to leave, "See you later, Bulma. Thanks for your help!"

A now confused Bulma stood staring as she tried to figure out when she exactly did anything helpful. Shrugging her shoulders, Bulma dismissed the confusion and turned on her heel to head for her bedroom.

"If my husband isn't awake yet, I swear…"

Outside C.C.

"That took a while." Pu'ar remarked as Yamcha got into their jet, "Did you get those reservations you wanted?"

"No." Yamcha answered with a grin, "I got something better."

Back on Earthland…

Goten and Wendy eyed each other as they paced in a circle, waiting for the other to make the first move as Charle sat on the side watching. Both of the fighters were searching for an opening in their opponent's guard, but finding nothing. Goten wasn't going to say it yet, but he was impressed Wendy picked up his sparring form so quickly.

Deciding something had to give, Goten made the first attack, throwing a punch for the left of Wendy's head. Instead of blocking it, Wendy ducked it, hoping Goten would aim a kick at her. Sure enough, he flew a kick with his left leg at her head. He was slightly surprised when she caught his leg with both hands and pulled him forward with it. He stumbled just enough for Wendy to bring her right knee into Goten's gut. As soon as her first hit connected, Wendy tried to jump back, but Goten grabbed her knee and spun to throw her aside.

Instead of losing control, Wendy was able to turn and dig her heels into the grass and stop herself. Acting quickly, she sprung back at Goten, starting a barrage of kicks and punches. Goten blocked most, allowing the less accurate attacks to land. Every now and then he threw a few kicks or jabs her way, but he mainly wanted to see how fast Wendy could attack. She was fast for a human, but Goten knew she could be faster. After a minute or two of flurried attacks, Wendy threw two more closing punches; first with her right fist, then with her left. Goten caught both attacks, squeezing her hands and planning to throw her aside again. But to his surprise, Wendy threw her head forward and slammed her forehead into his nose. Wendy felt instant regret when she heard a loud crack come from Goten's face and saw him fall backward, blood falling with him.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Goten!" Wendy apologized quickly as she rushed to kneel over him.

When Goten had finally told her he would start training her, Wendy felt somewhat nervous with the realization that she'd be spending entire days with no one but a boy, and maybe Charle. Not only that, but Wendy realized she didn't know much about Goten except that he had a perfect personality, was super strong, and was seriously cute. She also felt a strange urge to tell him about her past, despite how painful talking about it was. She had, in fact, gotten slightly worried on their first day of training that it would be all straight to business and she wouldn't learn more about him. But Goten had pleasantly surprised her by saying he wanted to know everything about her and for her to know more about him. Every moment she was with Goten, she felt excited or happy; and when she felt nervous or began to feel upset about something they had been talking about, Goten had reassured her and brightened her mood once again. Wendy had never thought that she could become as close to anyone within such short a time as she had with Goten. She knew from the first day they met that she could trust him with anything (eventually even enough to talk about Grandeeney; a subject she never discussed with others), and that trust had quickly grown into something else; though Wendy wasn't sure yet what that something was.

And how does she respond to Goten's kindness, trust, and friendship? She breaks his nose.

"Ow." Goten said with a weak laugh as Wendy grabbed his forearm gingerly.

"It doesn't hurt too bad, does it?" She asked, sparring out of her mind as she put her other hand on his chest, "Let me fix it."

"No." Goten replied as he gently brushed her hands off him and got up, "Later."

"But you're bleeding!" Wendy insisted.

Goten had explained to her as much as he could about Saiyans yesterday as they headed to the guild for dinner. One of the things she found interesting about Saiyans was their accelerated healing, though Goten explained it through stories about his dad rather than use a few words. Wendy had a theory that healing a Saiyan, even from a mortal wound, might be at least half as easier on her magic than healing another human. It was one of those theories Wendy was curious to test, but at the same time would hate if she ever could.

"Would you stop in a real fight just because you're bleeding?" Goten argued before he wiped his nose with his right arm, "It'll stop bleeding."

Goten returned to a fighting stance, gesturing for Wendy to do the same. Wendy wasn't sure if she should admire his determination or hate his stubbornness.

"I don't want to hurt you again." She stated, hesitating to mirror his posture. The only thing that bothered her about training with Goten was the possibility of seeing him get hurt. It bothered her even more that she would probably be the one to cause it.

"There's no way you can really hurt me." Goten assured her, "I had my guard down to see how hard you can hit. But I'll have it now."

"Okay…" Wendy replied, still unsure yet preparing to spar.

"After this, we'll take a break and grab breakfast." Goten said, "Then we'll start on using energy. But you gotta hit me first."

"That might mean we'd be out here all day, you know." Wendy protested.

"Maybe." Goten conceded with a grin, "But you definitely won't hit me if you don't try."

With that, Wendy rushed Goten, starting off another round of sparring.

At Fairy Tail…

Gohan sat at the bar with Pan sitting on the bar next to him. He had just finished eating most of a very delicious omelet Mirajane had made and paid for him despite his polite protests. Gohan gave what was left of the breakfast to Pan before thanking Mirajane and complementing her cooking skills.

"I owe you." Gohan remarked gratefully.

"Just pay me back when Master lets you take some paying jobs." Mirajane said before moving to serve some other guild members. Gohan was glad his stomach growled after she had walked away. The omelet was a kind gesture, but there was no way that one plate was going to fill his Saiyan stomach. Deciding he'd have to find up some time to scrounge up some food, he looked to see if Pan had finished eating.

"Like it?" Gohan asked her as she finished the last bite. Pan nodded with a smile.

"Is there more, Papa?" She asked.

"Not right now." Gohan answered, "But we'll go find some more food in a bit."

"Okay." Pan said cheerily.

"And don't forget to thank Mira for the food when she comes back." Gohan added.

"I won't." Pan replied, getting a nod of approval from her father before he started looking around the hall.

"I wonder if Trunks is up yet." Gohan thought aloud as he saw Mirajane come walking back.

"Thank you for the food, Mira-chan!" Pan said as the takeover mage came behind the bar.

"You're welcome, Pan." Mira replied, "You're just as polite as your father."

"Papa told me that if I'm nice to others, they'll be nice to me." Pan explained with a smile.

"It seems to me that you've got a great dad." Mira remarked while Gohan smiled sheepishly.

"The best!" Pan added before Gohan put a hand on her head.

"And the luckiest." Gohan said.

"You two are so cute." Mirajane commented, noticing Gohan's face slightly redden.

"Thanks, Mira." Gohan replied as his face returned to its normal shade.

"Anyway," Mira continued, "Master wouldn't tell me what kind of work he has you doing for the guild, so I won't ask. But I do want to know if I can help you in any way."

"Most of the time I'll be meditating." Gohan explained, "So all I'll really need is a quiet place so I can focus."

"How about the Data room?" Mirajane asked, "Not many people go in there, and I can ask whoever will to be as quiet as possible for you."

"Sounds good to me." Gohan answered, "I was just going to use my room, but here will be easier for the Master to come and talk to me."

"I can watch Pan for you for a little while too." Mira offered, "Lisanna said she saw Pan meditating with you, but I'm sure Pan's attention span must be a lot shorter than yours. And I can ask Alzack or Bisca when they come in to let her play with Asuka."

"I was going to ask Goten or Trunks to watch her for me." Gohan replied as he thought, "But Goten's busy and Trunks doesn't seem to be up yet. What do you think, Pan? Do you want to hang out with Mira for a while?"

Pan nodded her head excitedly.

"And remember to listen to Mira the entire time, okay?" Gohan requested, "She has to work and she may need your help."

"I will, Papa." Pan affirmed.

"Good." Gohan said before standing up, "I guess I should get to work then."

With that, Gohan walked away from the bar and headed towards the Data Storage room.

Another area just outside Magnolia…

"139… 140… 141…" The fire dragon slayer counted as he continued his push-ups. Lucy sat cross-legged on his back, wearing a look of irritation while Happy sat on her head.

"This is really fun and all," Lucy said sarcastically as Natsu hit number 150, "But how does this exactly help me?"

"I don't know." Natsu admitted between push-ups, "But you're definitely making my push-ups a bit tougher."

"I'm trying to figure out if that's an insult or not." Lucy grumbled as Natsu made his 156th push-up.

"I think Natsu's calling you fat, Lucy." Happy remarked.

"I'm not." Natsu argued, "I'm just saying that the extra weight is helping."

"At least one of you appreciates my help." Lucy commented.

"Hey… Luce…" Natsu said as he hit number 160.

"What?" Lucy replied, a tone of slight irritation still in her voice.

"Can't you meditate like you did before the Grand Magic Games?" Natsu asked.

"I didn't know you saw my training that day." Lucy commented.

"I didn't see it myself." Natsu clarified, "But I asked Happy to check on you."

"Aye." Happy said, surprising Lucy by not making a teasing comment.

"So, do you think you could train right here?" Natsu questioned again.

"I would, but sometimes it's kinda hard for me to focus around y-" Lucy started to explain before catching herself.

"Around what?" Natsu huffed as he made his 163rd push-up. Lucy was glad neither Happy nor Natsu could see her reddened face.

"Around others." Lucy finished, "It needs to be quiet so I can focus."

"We'll be quiet." Natsu added, "Go ahead and try."

"Fine." Lucy said before closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore Natsu and Happy's presence as she remembered Capricorn's instructions to her. Natsu wanted to ask her how her meditating was working out, but he didn't want to interrupt her either. Trying to make it easier for her, Natsu tried to keep a steady rhythm in his push-ups.

After a couple of minutes, Natsu started to wonder again about Lucy's success as he hit number 190. His wondering came to an end when the air around him seemed to rotate, the blades of grass pointing clockwise around him. Natsu grinned as he pushed up again, seeing the loose grass and dirt get pushed away.

As Natsu hit 200, Lucy collapsed forward when she stopped exerting her power, catching Natsu and Happy by surprise. Natsu's face fell into the dirt as his feet slipped while Happy went tumbling forward with a shout, stopping about a foot away. Lucy sat panting with her hands on Natsu's shoulder blades. She heard Natsu say something that was muffled by the grass.

"Sorry, Natsu." She apologized before getting off his back and laying down next to him.

"It's fine." Natsu said as he rolled over, now laying with his right side against her left, "I just wish you could have warned us."

"Yeah, that was mean." Happy whined from behind them.

"You can fly." Lucy argued without bothering to move, "You shouldn't have to worry about falling."

"She's got a point, buddy." Natsu agreed.

"But I was taking a nap." Happy complained.

"Some training routine." Lucy joked, getting a weak laugh from Natsu as Happy laid back with his head between theirs. For a moment, the three lay in the grass as Natsu and Lucy caught their breath and stared up at the sky.

"I may not like having to wake up so early to train," Lucy said, "But just this moment, staring up at the beautiful sky makes it worth it."

"Aye." Happy agreed.

"I hope my spirits aren't offended when I say this," Lucy added, "But this morning sky may be more beautiful than the night's sky."

"Yeah, it's nice and all," Natsu stated, "But I don't understand why people stare up at the sky, really."

"Why's that, Natsu?" Lucy asked, turning her head to look at him.

"Why would people look so far away for beauty," Natsu answered before turning to meet Lucy's gaze, "When there are things just as pretty right in front of them?"

"Sometimes I really like the way you think, Natsu." Lucy said as she smiled and put her hand in Natsu's. Natsu smiled and gently squeezed her hand in response. Lucy was waiting for Happy's heckling, but she wasn't upset when it never came.

"C'mon." Natsu said as he slowly got up, "Let's go fish up some breakfast."

Keeping a hold of her hand, Natsu helped Lucy up as Happy cheered an "Aye Sir!"

Somewhere along the northern coast of Fiore…

"So Fairy Tail has discovered Phantom Lord's existence." A hooded man said as he watched the waves crash along the shoreline.

"That's what the rumors say. I wonder what they're going to do about it." A hooded woman added as she mimicked the man standing next to her.

"If they cared for the rules at all," The man replied, "They won't do a thing without the council's permission."

"But this IS Fairy Tail we're talking about." The woman remarked, "They're probably already on their way to level that ugly Phantom building."

"I'd prefer it if they didn't." the man commented.

"Why not, Jellal?" the woman questioned, "That just means there's one less dark guild for us to hunt to down."

"Normally I would agree with you, Merudy." Jellal explained, "But Phantom Lord's recent research could aid us in the search for our ultimate goal."

"What do you mean?" Merudy asked, "Phantom Lord has something connecting them to Zeref?"

"Can't you feel it?" Jellal replied, "There's something more going on over there."

"Now that you mention it…" Merudy said after a moment, "I think I can. But how do you know they're researching something?"

"I still don't understand it myself." Jellal elaborated as he brandished a small piece of paper, "But someone left this note by our camp last night, somehow undetected."

"What does it say?" Merudy inquired.

"It just hints at Phantom's recent efforts, saying that we may be interested." Jellal stated, "There's no indication who it's from, however. But I assume it's a traitor amongst the Phantom ranks."

"What do you think we should do?" Merudy then asked, "Should we try to discover what they're up to?"

"I see no reason not to." Jellal said thoughtfully, "But we may want to make sure we don't get in Fairy Tail's way. Considering their history with Phantom, I can't imagine they'd willingly let us put off whatever they've got planned."

"So let's go talk to Fairy Tail." Merudy suggested, "I'm sure they'd try to help us if we asked."

"You're probably right," Jellal agreed before thinking, "But I'm not sure we should go to them. If we're spotted anywhere near Fairy Tail, we could cause them serious trouble with the council."

"That didn't stop us from going to them last time." Merudy argued, "You even joined their team for the games, as risky as that was."

"You have a point." Jellal conceded, "But even so, maybe it's too soon to risk being seen."

"I think you're just nervous." Merudy replied with a smirk.

"Nervous?" Jellal asked, confused, "Of what?"

"I think you're scared to go anywhere near Erza." Merudy explained.

"I am not!" Jellal protested, glad his hood hid his blushing.

"I don't have to sensory link with you to know what you're feeling sometimes, you know." Merudy reminded him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jellal insisted, crossing his arms.

"Well then," Merudy said, "If you're not afraid of going near Erza or of being spotted near Fairy Tail, then it seems like we have no reason not to go to them."

"I guess you're right." Jellal conceded, figuring he wasn't going to win this argument.

"When am I wrong?" Merudy joked.

"We should probably get moving." Jellal said as he turned away from the shore, "The quicker we travel, the harder it'll be for anyone to track us to Fairy Tail."

As Jellal and Merudy picked up their camp, a shadow sat covering a side of a nearby tree; despite that side's being directly in the sunlight. When Jellal and Merudy left, neither of them heard the ominous chuckle that came from it.

A few miles south of Oak Town…

"We're almost there." Juvia stated as the four continued their walk down the road.

"Am I the only one that's bothered by the fact that we haven't seen any sign of them?" Gray asked, "You'd think we'd have run into someone by now."

"Maybe they already saw us." Gajeel replied.

"If that's the case," Lily added, "We won't see them until they want to be seen."

"Knowing the old man," Gajeel remarked, "He'll probably have some show of strength waiting for us."

"If it's not an ambush." Gray commented.

"That is a possibility." Juvia chimed in.

"I'd like to see them try to catch me by surprise." Gajeel said with a grin.

"I wouldn't mind." Gray thought aloud, "It's been a while since I had a good fight."

The four walked on for a few more minutes until they discovered the road was blocked. An unusually large number of trees had fallen onto the road. The four were immediately on guard as they came closer to the debris. Lily turned around and watched the road, Gajeel and Juvia stared at the tree line on opposite sides of the road, and Gray walked up to inspect the obstruction.

"I think we were being watched." Gray said as he knelt down by the trees, "These were cut down recently."

"Gray…" Juvia began.

"You didn't have to look at the damn trees to know that." Gajeel hissed, "Look around you."

When Gray looked up, he saw that they were suddenly surrounded by at least twenty wizards.

"Look who it is, big bro Gato." An afro-and-sunglass wearing wizard said as his yellow teeth flashed in his grin.

"It's one of the guys that embarrassed us at Nirvana, big bro Zato." A blonde, spiky haired wizard with metal segments on his lips that looked like stitching, "I was wondering when we'd get payback."

"If you remember what happened," Gray replied as he took a stance with a palm behind his fist, "You'd remember that you had a lot more guys with you that time."

"That was seven years ago." Zato remarked, still wearing his grin, "We're much stronger than we were back then. Ain't that right, big bro Gato?"

"That's right, big bro Zato." Gato agreed, "I was wondering when we'd get payback."

"You don't think I got stronger either?" Gray asked, "Didn't you see the Grand Magic Games?"

"Fairy Tail only won because they didn't have any real opponents in the games." Another wizard said as he pushed through the crowd to stand in front of Gajeel.

"Whaddya know?" Gajeel said with a light laugh, "It's the chicken guy from Tenrou Island."

"My name's Kawazu." The humanoid rooster told Gajeel with a sneer, "And I think you remember my partner, Yomazu?"

The brown-furred, samurai-style dressed, humanoid goat walked up beside Kawazu and met Gajeel's stare.

"I remember you." Yomazu said as he looked Gajeel over, "And it's like Zato said, we're much stronger now. I could probably beat you by myself. It's only too bad that blue haired bitch won't be here to see us beat you down."

"Talk about her like that again," Gajeel growled menacingly, "And I'll rip your goddamn head off."

"Careful, Yomazu." Another voice said from in front of Juvia, "It looks like he seriously wants to send you to Hell!"

Juvia was surprised when she saw a punk-rock dressed man wearing long hair and white skin paint emerge from the crowd, carrying his blue guitar with him.

"Hey, baby!" Vidaldus greeted with a smirk, "I'm glad to see my greatest succubus has still got her rocking body. It almost makes me not want to send you to hell!"

Vidaldus had to duck before either he or Juvia could say anything more since Gray chucked a chunk of ice his way.

"I don't know really want to know why you're calling Juvia a succubus," Gray declared as he gave Vidaldus an icy glare, "But if you threaten or hit on my girlfriend again, the only person going to hell will be you."

Juvia blushed when she heard Gray acting territorial, nearly forgetting she was surrounded by dark wizards.

"I see you're all wearing Phantom Lord's guild seal." Gajeel observed as he looked around, "It's lucky for you that you are."

"Why's that?" Zato questioned, "You've heard of our greatness and you're too scared to fight?"

"No." Gajeel answered with a grin, "It just means I won't kill you after I've kicked your ass."

"Why do you care what guild mark we're wearing?" Kawazu asked, "You're Fairy Tail wizards, and we're a dark guild."

"We didn't come here to fight." Lily explained, "We came here to talk to your master, Gajeel and Juvia are friends of his."

"Bring us to Jose Porla and we won't hurt any of you." Juvia told the surrounding wizards, who laughed at her before one of them spoke up.

"And how do you know Jose Porla is the master?" Yomazu demanded, "Or that he's even with us?"

"Juvia and Gajeel were members of Phantom." Gray explained, "And some other Fairy Tail wizards saw his magic recently."

"And some others told us men wearing Phantom Lord marks attacked a royal caravan." Lily added.

"It wasn't that hard to put two and two together." Gray continued. Some of the dark wizards looked back and forth at each other, wondering what they should do.

"Alright, fine." Zato said after amoment's thought, "We'll take you to the master."

The four seemed to ease up slightly before Zato spoke again.

"But who says we can't have a little fun with you before that?" He added with a sinister smirk, slowly advancing towards Gray as the entire group of dark wizards closed on their prey.

"You're going to regret this." Gray warned before he looked to Juvia and gave her a nod while the dark wizards laughed at him. Gajeel saw the exchange and looked to Lily.

"Ready, Juvia?" Gray asked as he put his back to her.

"Whenever you are, my love." She responded.

"Now!" Gray yelled. Pantherlily grabbed Gajeel and shot straight up as Juvia shot her hands out to both sides of the road. A giant wave of water went out in all directions, crashing into all the dark wizards. Just as the attackers were engulfed by Juvia's attack, the water quickly froze to ensnare them. Looking down, Gajeel and Lily saw the massive donut-shaped ice block that was created. The two landed in the middle of the ice next to Juvia and Gray as all four inspected their handiwork.

"That worked better than I thought it would." Gray remarked as he stared at one of the frozen dark wizards, "And you managed to not get me covered in water. I'm pretty impressed, Juvia."

"Juvia just followed her love's instructions." Juvia replied, blushing at Gray's compliment, "He's got a much better mind for strategy than she does."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can go make out later." Gajeel joked as he inspected the ice, "I just wish your plan involved me hitting someone."

"Oh, don't worry." Gray said to the iron dragon slayer, "Now we get to chisel them out one by one and take our time with them until they give us what we want."

Gajeel grinned devilishly before finding Yomazu in the ice. He gave a sinister chuckle before pointing at the goat and saying,

"You're first."

Just outside of Magnolia…

Natsu, Lucy, and Happy sat on the river bank, each holding a fishing pole in hand. Happy sat to Natsu's left, humming cheerily as he stared at his line. Lucy sat on Natsu's right, looking at Natsu, he seemed to be thinking; and she wondered what was up.

"Natsu?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"Hm?" He replied, absentmindedly. Lucy wasn't sure he was fully out of his thoughts yet.

"What are you thinking about?" She questioned.

"Oh, I was just wondering how I should cook these fish." Natsu answered, gesturing to the four fish that lay in the grass behind him.

"I think we should eat them raw." Happy chipped in, "That's when they taste best."

"Maybe you can have one of them raw." Lucy replied, "But I feel like cooking something."

"Me too." Natsu agreed, "Sorry, little buddy."

"As long as I get my fish, I don't care what you do to yours." Happy stated with a grin. The three went quiet again as they enjoyed the scenery until Lucy spoke up.

"You know, Natsu." Lucy said, "I think you were lying earlier."

"Whaddya mean, Luce?" Natsu wondered.

"Every time I come fishing with you guys," Lucy explained, "You always ask me how we'll cook the fish."

"Maybe I was wondering what you'd say." Natsu replied, but Lucy saw that he glanced away as he spoke.

"That's not it." Lucy said, "What were you really-"

"You've got a bite, Luce!" Happy yelled, interrupting the blonde mage.

"Oh, yeah!" Lucy shouted in realization as she pulled hard on the pole.

"Wow, this one's big!" Lucy exclaimed after having some difficulty with pulling the fish in, "Really big!"

Natsu and Happy sat by and watched excitedly as Lucy struggled to pull the fish in. Their expressions changed from excitement to nervousness when Lucy was suddenly pulled forward. Lucy's eyes widened as she glanced at Natsu before being yanked forward.

"Natsu!" She yelled as she fell face first and started to slide towards the water, her hands latched firmly onto the pole.

"Hang on, Luce!" Natsu yelled as he dove on top of her. He picked her up from behind and grabbed her hands on the pole, helping secure her grip. At any other time, Lucy would have been embarrassed about the position she and Natsu were in; but she was too focused on fighting the fish to notice how Natsu was pressed against her backside. With Natsu's aid, the tug-of-war seemed to come to a stalemate.

"On the count of three," Natsu said quietly in Lucy's ear, "We'll pull as hard as we can."

Lucy nodded, fighting off the shiver she almost had from feeling Natsu's breath on her neck.

"One." Lucy flexed her hands underneath Natsu's.

"Two." Natsu leaned into Lucy, getting ready to put his whole body into the effort.

"Three!" Natsu and Lucy yanked backwards with everything they had. As they fell backwards, Lucy landing on top of Natsu, none of the trio could believe what broke the water's surface.

"What the?!" Happy exclaimed in confusion.

"Ow!" A fourth person yelled, "That really hurts!"

About 20 minutes ago…

"That was an awesome move, Wendy." Goten complimented as they walked side by side, with Charle following just behind them, "I'm still trying to figure out how you caught me by surprise."

"I couldn't believe it myself." Wendy replied as she tried not to blush in response to his praise.

"You should." Goten told her, "It took me forever to get used to sparring form, and a little while after that to be good at it. But you already look like you've been training for years."

"I guess it's because I've got a great teacher." Wendy replied and smiled at Goten, who returned the smile with the signature Son grin. Charle was trying to find something to disrupt the sweet talking, but she couldn't find anything relevant to say.

"I have to admit." Charle said, sounding slightly regretful, "But you do seem to make great progress every day, child."

"Thank you, Charle." Wendy replied, hoping the Exceed could read into the extra sincerity in her tone. She knew Charle was still probably uncomfortable with the situation, so getting any kind of positive statement from her seemed to be nothing short of a miracle. Charle gave a weak, knowing smile in return in order to tell Wendy she knew she was being thanked for more than just the compliment.

"Here we are." Goten declared as the three reached the riverside, "Now, we fish."

"But we don't have any fishing poles." Wendy noted.

"That's because we're going to catch them with our hands." Goten explained, "Sometimes the fish are too big for a pole."

"I'll help, I guess." Charle chimed in with a huff, "As long as no one tells the tomcat I went fishing."

Wendy giggled as Goten agreed to Charle's condition. She turned away to look at the water, wondering how cold it was. When she turned back to look at Goten, her face instant flared red.

"What are you doing?!" Charle demanded as Wendy hid her eyes to avoid seeing Goten take his orange gi and pants off.

"What?" Goten questioned, standing in nothing but white boxers, "I didn't want to get my clothes wet."

"How about warning us, next time?" Charle questioned, slightly irritated, but glad he had stopped undressing. Wendy uncovered her eyes, but she was still slightly embarrassed at seeing Goten in nothing but his underwear. Looking at him, she saw his body was slightly toned with a barely noticeable layer of fat spread evenly over his body; his leg and arm muscles were more evident yet slim. Wendy guessed that like her, he couldn't really develop muscles until he reached adulthood. One thing that was clear to her was that his entire body was built to encourage agility and endurance, and that Goten would definitely have a well-defined body as soon as he was finished going through puberty. Wendy mentally slapped herself for eyeing up Goten.

"I usually take off all my clothes when I'm swimming." Goten stated as he moved closer to the water, "But Trunks told me that it's weird to do that in front of girls."

"Thank god for Trunks." Charle remarked, not noticing Wendy's intensifying blushing as she pictured Goten with all his clothes off. Seeing him in his underwear made it somewhat easier to imagine. Wendy shook her head and scolded herself for thinking like that, partially surprised at herself. She couldn't remember if she had ever had a thought like that before. Goten brought her back to reality by launching into the water, nearly splashing her.

"This water feels great!" Goten declared happily as he moved his hair out of his eyes after resurfacing, "Are you gonna get in, Wendy?"

"Oh, right." She said, before realizing something, "I don't have anything to wear or change into."

"Oh, yeah." Goten added in realization, "Well, you could jump in with what you're wearing if Charle got you a change of clothes."

"I could…" Wendy replied thoughtfully before turning to her Exceed companion, "Do you think you could fly back to Fairy Hills and get me something, Charle?"

Charle gave Wendy a disgruntled look before sighing.

"I guess going by myself makes the most sense." Charle stated, not really looking forward to leaving the two alone, "But no funny business while I'm gone."

"I don't know what you mean." Wendy lied, looking at the ground as her skin went to a bright shade of pink.

"Uh huh." Charle said with a disbelieving tone before she took off for Fairy Hills. Wendy watched her friend fly away, before Goten regained her attention.

"Hey, Wendy!" he called out as he bobbed in the water, "Are you gonna jump in?"

"Yeah." She replied, turning back to the water and approaching it slowly, "Is it cold?"

"A little." Goten answered honestly, "But it's refreshing."

Deciding not to think about how cold the water could be, Wendy closed her eyes and held her nose as she leapt into the river. She was pleasantly surprised to find the water was not terribly cold and that there was not much of a current in it. As she resurfaced, two things crossed Wendy's mind. The first was that the water was indeed refreshing; the second was how glad she was that the shorts and shirt she had on were tight fitting. She couldn't even imagine how embarrassed she'd been if her top came off in front of Goten.

"Feels great, right?" Goten asked. Wendy nodded and gave him a friendly smile.

"Okay," Goten said as he looked around, "We're pretty close to where I caught that fish the other day."

"There are fish that big in here?" Wendy questioned, somewhat nervously.

"Sure." Goten replied, "You just have to dive deep enough to find them."

"How deep is this river?" Wendy wondered aloud.

"Deep enough for some really big fish to live here." Goten answered before looking into the water, "I'm gonna see if I can find any."

The next moment, Goten took a deep breath and went under the surface. Wendy waited as she tried to stay floating in the same area. After a minute passed, she wondered if Goten was successful in finding a fish. After what seemed like the second minute to pass, she started to worry since Goten hadn't resurfaced.

"Goten?" Wendy called out, wondering if she should try to find him underwater. After another minute passed, she started to get scared.

"Goten!" Wendy yelled, hoping he had just resurfaced somewhere further downstream. With that thought, she started swimming down river. After another minute of not hearing a response, she called out for him one more time before preparing to dive down and search for him.

"Found some fish!" She suddenly heard behind her, making her jump in surprise. Turning around in the water, she saw Goten looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face. Wendy grabbed Goten and pulled him in for a hug, relieved that he was okay.

"Uh…" Goten said, slightly confused yet returning the hug, "What's that for?"

"I was scared when you didn't come back up." Wendy explained as she let him go, "You were underwater for nearly five minutes."

"Oh." Goten replied as he figured out Wendy's concern, "I'm sorry. I should have told you I can hold my breath for a very long time."

"Two minutes is a very long time!" Wendy exclaimed, "Five minutes is nuts!"

"Really?" Goten asked, "Cause I can hold my breath for like, twenty minutes."

"Seriously?" Wendy questioned.

"Seriously." Goten repeated, "Why? How long can you hold your breath?"

"I don't know." Wendy answered, "Maybe a minute?"

"Wow." Goten said in surprise, "That's weird."

"Why's that weird?" Wendy questioned, "Are you making fun of me?

"No way." Goten answered honestly, "I just think it's weird since you use air magic. I figured you could probably stay under longer than me."

"Oh." Wendy replied, "I guess you're right."

"Wanna see who can hold their breath the longest?" Goten asked.

"I do." Wendy replied, "But I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Yeah, me too." Goten agreed, "We can find out later. How about we see who can catch the biggest fish?"

"That sounds fun." Wendy answered, "But how do you catch the fish? Do you just grab it and drag it to the surface?"

"You can if you're strong enough." Goten explained, "But it's usually easier to stun him first. The bigger fish don't normally get scared of things smaller than it, so you should have no problem getting close enough."

"Okay." Wendy said as she prepared to dive. Goten was about to start a countdown when Charle announced her presence.

"Hey, Charle!" the Slayer and Saiyan greeted simultaneously.

"We're about to see who can get the bigger fish." Wendy told her friend, "Can you be the judge for us if it's close?"

"I don't see why not." Charle replied, "Your change of clothes is over by Goten's outfit if you wanted to know."

"Thank you, Charle." Wendy said, "Oh, and don't worry if we don't come up in a few minutes. Goten can hold his breath for nearly twenty minutes, and I'm going to try using my magic to see how long I can."

"Okay, but be careful, child." Charle answered, "I'll try to see if I can grab a smaller fish by the surface."

"Alright." Goten said excitedly, "Ready?"

Wendy nodded before she started to eat the air around them. Charle had to land to avoid getting pulled into the river.

"Three… Two… One!" Goten counted before he and Wendy dived. Charle stood by the river bank as she watched them go under before she started to figure out if she was going to actually try to catch a fish or not. Figuring she should at least give it a shot, she walked closer to the water and tried to figure out her best approach. She didn't want to get her clothes wet, so she definitely didn't plan on diving into the water like Wendy or Goten; but she also didn't have any fishing gear. Or did she? While she was thinking about what to do, she noticed the bright pink bow on the end of her tail.

"That might work as a lure." Charle said to herself aloud, knowing she'd have to pay attention if she didn't want her tail bit. Sitting down by the edge of the bank, Charle stuck her tail over the water and dipped the tip of it in. She sat for a minute quietly before thinking if she moved her tail slightly, it'd give the illusion of a smaller fish. After another minute of waiting, she wondered how much longer those two teens would be under the water. Charle didn't plan to tell Wendy she had been hovering over them for a few minutes before she announced her presence. (Though she did plan to remind Wendy to pay attention to her senses better. What was the point of having heightened senses if anyone could sneak up on her?) She had seen Wendy hug Goten and talk about how long they could hold their breath, and as much as it irked Charle, she also saw how different Wendy was when Goten was around. He seemed to draw out Wendy's confidence, though she still did put herself down every now and again; and he was helping Wendy enjoy the little things in life.

Every now and then, Charle felt bad that Wendy's childhood always seemed disrupted by one traumatic incident or another. She was certainly proud of how mature Wendy could behave, but she also wished sometimes that Wendy could have the time to act like a thirteen year old girl. Charle almost began to fear that childish, innocent, and carefree side of Wendy would never resurface until Goten, the embodiment of that personality, had hidden under the table for Wendy to find him. Charle was sure she'd never say it aloud, but she was glad Wendy found a great friend in Goten; and she was certain she could trust Goten with Wendy. She'd still probably try to claw his eyes out if they ever did anything beyond the level of friendship, though knowing that Goten would never do anything to hurt Wendy made Charle consider only using one claw on him if the time came.

As she was sitting there with her tail in the water thinking over the past few days, Charle saw movement under the water before feeling something bump against her tail. Focusing her gaze, she saw the fish that bumped her tail. She bobbed her tail to get it to take the bait, and she nearly cheered when she noticed that it followed her tail through the water. Deciding now was the best time to try it, she flicked her tail out of the water and was amazed when the fish came soaring out after it. She instinctively shot her claws out and latched on to both sides of the fish. It struggled for a minute until Charle carried it further away from the water and placed it next to her as she sat down. She couldn't help but smirk when she thought about how impressed Happy would be with her fishing skills.

Wendy continued to swim around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the deeper part of the river. It had been at least two minutes now and she hadn't seen a large fish yet. Her aim was to get a fish at least as big as the fish Goten cooked the night they had met. She had lost sight of Goten shortly after they had dived, and she wondered if he was having better luck than her. She was about to wonder if she was going to find anything when she saw two massive fish come swinging from behind her. Silently cheering, Wendy swam closer in an effort to determine which of the two was bigger. She was even more surprised after watching the fish swim past her when she saw Goten swim past her in hot pursuit.

Scrambling to catch up, Wendy hurried upstream, gaining on Goten as he slowed down to inspect the fish. Wendy thought the fish on the right had seemed to be larger, and it appeared that Goten was about to discover that for himself. Using the last bit of time she had before Goten made his move, Wendy looked back and yelled.

The phrase "Sky Dragon's Roar!" was incoherent in the water, but it had the same effect as it would on land. Wendy shot past Goten and latched onto her target, catching him completely by surprise. The fish instinctively quickened its pace, trying to wriggle its tail free of Wendy's grasp. Goten saw the other fish begin to dash away, so he used his ki to speed up and catch up to it. Wendy thought about how she could stun the fish when a brilliant idea came to mind. As she grabbed onto one of the fish's fins in order to reach its head, she glanced over at Goten. He had stopped just in front of the fish and landed a punch to the top of its head, effectively stopping it in its tracks. Turning back to her fish, Wendy put a hand on its head while still holding onto it with her other. She used her hand on its head to cast a reverse form of Troia, and she smiled when she saw the fish slow down and come to a halt. She glanced over to Goten to see how he was doing when she noticed how strange of a position he was in.

Goten had both his hands latched onto the fish's tail, but he was now struggling to stay underwater for some reason. She then saw Goten try to pry at something near his hands with his teeth. Wendy was confused until she swam closer with her fish to investigate. What she saw made her wince in pain. It had appeared that a fishing hook had gone through the palm of his right hand. Goten could have probably pried his hand off of it if he wasn't so determined to hold onto the fish. Wendy was about to release her fish to aid him when Goten waved her off. She wasn't entirely sure she should listen to him, but she hesitated long enough to see Goten's hand get yanked upward. Someone was still fishing on that line!

Wendy hurriedly swam over to Goten's fish and grabbed its tail with her left hand, hoping Goten would understand her gesture to tell him to free his hand. She watched as Goten pulled the line back hard in order to see the hook better, but his hand was pulled away again. Trying harder to gain some more slack, Goten used some of his ki to propel himself downward as he yanked his hand again. He was about to start to free himself when his hand got pulled again, this time stronger than before. Wendy watched as Goten played tug-of-war while she struggled to not float downstream with the current. It seemed Goten had finally brought the pulling to a stand-still when he was suddenly yanked out of the water with a yelp. Wendy shouted his name before swimming as fast as she cold to where he went up. When she poked her head out of the water, she was surprised to see Natsu, Lucy, and Happy staring at a nearly naked Goten.

"What the?" Happy questioned in confusion.

"Ow!" Goten complained, "That really hurt!"

"You caught a fish that looks and sounds like Goten, Lucy!" Happy declared in shock.

"Don't be stupid, Happy." Lucy said as Wendy watched her climb off Natsu, "That is Goten."

"How did we manage to catch him?" Natsu asked as he followed Lucy and ran up to Goten.

"We were fishing." Goten answered as he tried to work the hook out of his hand.

"From in the water?" Happy asked, giving Goten an incredulous look.

"Who's we?" Lucy questioned until Wendy fully surfaced, throwing the two massive fish onto land next to the group.

"Whoa!" Natsu shouted in surprise as Happy seemed to have hearts in his eyes.

"Wendy?" Lucy stated, confused and amazed, "You caught those two fish with your bare hands?!"

"This one's Goten's." Wendy answered as she climbed out of the water and pointed to the fish on the left, "I caught the other one."

Wendy was starting to get embarrassed with the wide-eyed expression she was getting from Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. Ignoring the trio, Wendy ran past them to check on Goten, who was sitting down as he tried to slowly pull the hook out. She put her left hand on his right shoulder as she crouched at his side, grabbing his wrist so she could examine the wound.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, "How bad does it hurt?"

"It stings a bit." Goten answered before grinning, "But I've felt worse after fighting."

"Remind me to avoid getting into fights with you." Wendy joked, getting a chuckle from Goten while Natsu and Lucy watched the two interact. Happy was too busy being in love with the fish to notice anyone else around him. The fire dragon slayer and the celestial mage were still trying to process the strange series of events while Wendy helped Goten. After a minute's effort, Goten was able to free his hand from the hook, wincing when the hook finally came out. Wendy quickly put her right hand on his palm, healing the wound.

"Thanks, Wendy." Goten said as he squeezed her hand, "You're the best."

Wendy smiled in response and lightly squeezed his shoulder, "Thanks, Goten. I'm just glad you're not hurt anymore."

"They're in lo-" Happy was about to tease when Lucy swatted the top of his head, "Ow! Why, Lucy?!"

"You know why." She replied as Goten stood up and let Wendy's hand go, Wendy's face was slightly red from embarrassment. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if she and Natsu looked like that whenever Happy would tease them.

"So," Wendy asked the trio, "How was the fishing going before you caught Goten?"

"It was great." Natsu answered, still getting over his confusion, "We caught four fish so far. But it looks like you did better than us."

"I don't think you could compare our catch to yours." Wendy replied, "Since we caught our fish a different way."

"I guess you've got a point." Natsu conceded as he stared at the massive fish.

"You're welcome to have some with us once we figure out which one's bigger." Wendy offered, "Goten and I were in the middle of a contest before you yanked him out the water. Why are you staring at me, Lucy?"

"I'm sorry, Wendy." Lucy apologized, "I just don't think I've ever seen you wear anything but a dress."

"Oh, yeah, well." Wendy said shyly, "I like to look nice when I go to the guild."

"You look nice in this too." Lucy and Goten said simultaneously. Lucy giggled when she realized Goten had complimented the sky dragon slayer with her.

"Thanks, you guys." Wendy said as she fought back another blush.

"Oh!" Wendy stated turning to look downstream, "I nearly forgot about Charle!"

"Charle's here?!" Happy questioned, excitedly.

"Unfortunately." Charle answered as she came through the tree line, holding Wendy and Goten's clothes in one paw and her fish in the other, "I heard the commotion from where you left me. Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine now." Natsu answered, "Lucy was fishing and caught Goten a few minutes ago."

"I'm surprised you didn't know these three were over here, Wendy." Charle said as she handed Wendy another shirt and shorts, "We were downwind of them the whole time."

"I guess I wasn't paying attention." Wendy replied as she went red, knowing how that sounded considering her and Goten's situation.

"Charle has a fish?" Happy wondered aloud, mesmerized by the sight and ignored by everyone.

"So you two woke up early in the morning to go fishing together?" Lucy asked. Wendy looked to Goten, wondering if they were going to give the real reason they were together.

"Yep." Goten lied, "Wendy wanted to know how I caught the fish I made for her two days ago."

"So that's where you were during Natsu's fight with Gohan?" Lucy questioned, "You were having dinner together?"

"Umm…" Wendy said, shrinking in her spot and trying to hide her face, "Yeah."

"That's so cute!" Lucy declared with a smile before reassuring Wendy, "You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Didn't you say you needed to find out which fish was bigger?" Natsu asked, his hunger winning over his curiosity about Wendy and Goten.

"Oh, right." Goten said as he ran to the fish, "Which one's mine, Wendy?"

"The one on the right." She answered as she followed him, "So what do you think, guys? Which one wins?"

"I don't know." Natsu replied as he started to head over to them, "They look nearly the same."

"So blue…" Happy stated, drool dripping from his mouth, "So big…"

"It's really hard to tell." Lucy said as she inspected the fish, "Maybe if we lifted them up, we could tell."

"Okay!" Goten replied cheerily, grabbing his fish by the tail and levitating so his fish was fully suspended. Wendy tried to imitate him as everyone felt as change in the wind as she tried to lift herself up with her fish, but she only managed to lift herself barely up off the ground.

"Yeah, I can't carry things this heavy when I fly yet." Wendy stated, slightly embarrassed.

"I'll help you, Wendy." Happy volunteered, snapping out of his trance. He flew behind Wendy and grabbed her under her arms and helped lift the fish into the air. Goten lowered himself so the tails were at an even height while Lucy, Natsu, and Charle examined the fish.

"I think Wendy won, Goten." Lucy said.

"Yeah, her fish is just barely bigger." Natsu agreed.

"I thought so when we were in the water." Goten said, still smiling, "Wendy was able to beat me to her fish, and I thought it was over then."

"So I guess that makes Wendy the best barehanded fisher in Fairy Tail." Natsu stated, "I think I might start fishing that way too. I'd love to have fishing contests with you guys."

"That sounds like fun." Wendy replied and Goten chuckled. Natsu grinned while Lucy shook her head at Natsu.

"So how about we cook these things?" Goten asked, getting agreement from everyone. Goten went to some nearby trees and broke them apart for firewood before piling them up so Natsu could ignite them. After that, Goten started taking sections of the fish off and removing the scales while Natsu set up the fire for spit-roasting. Wendy decided she should probably change into dryer clothes, so she grabbed her clothes and went for a shaded area away from the campfire. She was about to take her shirt off when Goten stumbled through the bushes.

"Goten, I'm-" She started to squeal when she saw him signal her to be quiet. Lowering her voice she spoke again.

"I'm trying to get undressed." Wendy said before going red when she noticed he was still in his underwear.

"I know." Goten explained as he matched Wendy's volume, "I just needed to tell you that we'll pick up the training after we eat with Natsu and Lucy."

"Oh, okay." Wendy replied, "What do we tell them if they want us to hang out with them or something?"

"I don't know." Goten answered as he tried to think of something, "I can't really think of anything that sounds convincing. If Gohan or Trunks were here, they'd come up with something. They really are much smarter than me."

"I think it's a good thing that you're so bad at lying." Wendy reassured him before trying to think of anything. She went red as a possible excuse came to mind, though she'd be lying if she said she didn't find it appealing.

"I can think of one reason." Wendy stated, somewhat embarrassed as she spoke, "But I'm worried that we'll hear about it later at the guild."

"What do you mean?" Goten asked, "What's the reason?"

"I mean," Wendy elaborated, "Any excuse we give them kinda already hints at it if we don't tell them the truth, so it's probably the most believable one."

"Hints at what?" Goten questioned.

"Well…" Wendy said, trying to figure out her wording as her skin continued to glow pink, "We could say we're on a date. They'd definitely leave us alone then."

"If it'll work, it sounds good to me." Goten replied before thinking for a second, "What's a date?"

"Oh, um…" Wendy answered, not totally surprised that Goten didn't know, yet embarrassed that she had to tell him, "Well, when a guy and girl like each other, they ask each other out on dates. A date is when those two people have fun together with no one else around. When they go out often together, it's called dating."

"So then I guess we've been dating." Goten stated bluntly, causing Wendy to turn beet-red, "Because I like you and I've been having fun with you these past few days."

"Me too, Goten." Wendy replied, looking away so he couldn't see her blushing, it didn't help that he was still in his underwear, "I guess we won't really be lying to them if we say that, but some of the others at the guild will definitely want to know what we did on our… um, date."

"Why would they want to know?" Goten questioned.

"Well, some people are romantic or gossipy and love to hear about things like people dating." Wendy explained, hoping she didn't have to go into too much detail.

"I think I have heard of this dating thing before." Goten said as he scratched his head, "I think Trunks or Gohan might've mentioned it before. I didn't know it was just two people having fun together though."

"Well, there's more to it than that." Wendy remarked, now feeling her face heat up.

"Why?" Goten inquired, "What else is there?"

"You don't just date anyone, you see." Wendy tried to explain as she struggled to keep her cool, really wishing Goten had more clothes on right now for some reason, "You go out on dates with someone you want to be boyfriend and girlfriend with, that one person you find attractive and making them stand out from other friends."

"I'm not sure I know that word 'attractive'." Goten said as he wracked his brains, "But what do boyfriends and girlfriends do that make them different from other friends?"

"Well, um… if a guy sees a girl and thinks she's pretty or cute, that means he finds her attractive, and boyfriends and girlfriends…" Wendy stuttered, wondering how her head hadn't exploded from all the blood that was rushing to it while another side of her admitted that Goten was indeed attractive, "Uh… They um, hold hands and…"

"I think you're pretty." Goten stated, "And we've held hands."

"We have." Wendy agreed, still trying to operate despite Goten's comments and gaze, "But boyfriends and girlfriends also kiss and-"

"I think I know what kissing is!" Goten said, slightly surprising himself, "My mom's kissed me before, and Trunks' mom kisses him."

"That's not like boyfriend or girlfriend kissing." Wendy explained as another strange thought went through her head. She began to wonder how bad it would actually be if she was really going out with Goten. The thought didn't seem bad at all to her, actually. She began to wonder as she spoke.

"Boyfriends and girlfriends kiss each other on the lips." Wendy explained.

"I've seen Gohan do that!" Goten declared, "I think I know what you're talking about now. But…"

"But what, Goten?" Wendy asked, starting to feel relieved that the whole scenario was seeming to wind down.

"If we're telling people we're dating..." Goten said.

Wendy looked at Goten for the first time in a while, and she was shocked to notice that his face had a hint of redness as he spoke. Goten was remembering how he and Trunks would make fun of Gohan and Videl when they saw them kissing. After that thought, he started to understand everything he was being told; and some of his conversations with Trunks started to make more sense now. Now, he was kind of curious to know what dating felt like; what kissing felt like.

"And we have been dating…" He continued, thinking how pretty Wendy was. He started to blush harder at some of the new thoughts that popped into his head, though each one made him happier for some reason.

"Should we…" He stuttered. There was no denying it now, Wendy thought to herself, Goten was getting embarrassed. For some reason, that made Wendy feel more comfortable. She also thought his face was really cute. Something in her started to hope he was thinking something like she was.

"Um, you know…" He said, trying to put his words together. He's never had trouble saying anything before in his life. Why was this so hard for him? It wasn't like he didn't want to date Wendy.

"Kiss?" he finally spat out. Wendy felt her heart stop at the word. Did she really want to kiss Goten? To give away her first kiss so soon? She was only thirteen after all. But then again. Charle always did encourage Wendy to act more mature. Plus, she couldn't find anything wrong with Goten. To her, he seemed like the perfect guy to give away her first kiss. So why was she hesitating? Was it because she had never kissed a boy before? Did she know how? She had heard girls in the guild talk about kissing before, but she never paid too much attention to them. She kind of wished she did now.

"I… um… I don't know…" Wendy replied, "I don't think I know how, I've never kissed anyone before…"

"Neither have I." Goten replied, his ears flashing red, "But I kinda want to kiss you."

Wendy never thought Goten would outright say it. But as soon as he did, she became nervously excited. She was just trying to figure out if she was more nervous than excited, or vice versa.

"I kinda want to kiss you too." Wendy admitted, not knowing what compelled her to say that. She suddenly froze up when Goten grabbed her right hand with his left.

"Well then, I guess we hold hands first." He said as he grabbed her other hand, pulling her closer to him.

"And then…" He said as he raised his hand like he had seen Gohan do with Videl, taking his left hand and gently touching Wendy's cheek as he lowered his right hand to her waist. Instinct suddenly took over Wendy when she felt his hands on her. She now no longer felt embarrassed or nervous; only excited as Goten neared her. She brought her face closer to Goten's, both of them closing their eyes just before their lips met. After a few seconds, the two separated. Wendy felt slightly confused with herself. She did listen in to the girls of Fairy Tail when they talked about what kissing was like once; and from the way the girls had described it, there had to be something more to it. She oddly felt disappointed, all the while wondering if that disappointment was a good or bad emotion to have.

Goten slowly pulled away, letting go of her face and moving it to hold her hand.

"I guess that's it." He said with a goofy grin on his face after they both opened their eyes. He was happy that he was able to kiss Wendy, but he felt that the kiss was kind of lackluster. He didn't understand why people got so nervous or excited when talking about kissing. To him, he somewhat felt that their kiss was missing something; but he wasn't sure what that something was.

Wendy was having an internal argument with herself. She believed there was more to kissing than that; and she was wondering what, as Cana called it, 'making out' felt like. But, her difficulty was her wondering if she should have that experience with Goten yet. One the one hand, it made perfect sense to have her first serious kiss with Goten; he was kind, honest, loyal, caring, attractive, and her age – he was in fact one of the only three boys she knew that was her age and in Fairy Tail. She couldn't think of anyone else she'd want to kiss like that. While on the other hand, he was so innocent and naïve that she wondered if she'd be taking advantage of him if she'd try to make out with him. And she's only know him for a few days; was it too soon to be making out with him anyway?

"You know," Goten said honestly, letting Wendy's hand go in order to scratch the back of his head as he did, "I don't really know why people make such a big deal out of kissing."

"Oh, um…" Wendy replied, slightly surprised she wasn't blushing, "Well, I've heard that sometimes you can do more when you're kissing to make it more exciting."

"Really?" Goten asked, "Like what?"

"Well," Wendy answered, this time blushing as she felt weird with having to go in detail with her explanation, "I think it might sound weird if I describe it out loud."

"Would it be easier if you just showed me?" Goten questioned. Wendy hesitated before responding.

"Probably…" She said tentatively, "But I don't know if I should."

"Would it be fun?" He asked.

"Some people say it is. But-"

"If it's something fun, I'd like to know what it is." Goten interrupted her, "And if kissing is only done with one person, I want you to be that person."

Hearing Goten say that seemed to sway Wendy towards her inclination to kiss him again. She began to think that she might kiss him again, but she had two more questions for him.

"I need to know something first." Wendy stated, "Do you really, really want to do this?"

She felt better when she saw him actually stop and think about it before answering.

"Yes." Goten answered seriously, "If it's something that would make you happy and be really fun for both of us, I want to do it with you."

"That's what I really needed to hear." Wendy said softly as she grabbed his hands once again, "Because I also can't think of anyone else I'd rather kiss, and I think it would make you happy."

Goten couldn't wait anymore, and he was glad when Wendy leaned into him and put her hands on the top of his shoulders, lightly squeezing them. He lowered his hands to her waist and pulled her tighter against him while still leaning into her, remembering once again that Gohan seemed to do that when he kissed Videl. Just as he had done that, he felt Wendy's lips upon his once again as he closed his eyes.

The next instant, Goten felt Wendy's tongue brush against his lips; and though he didn't really understand why, he felt he should mimic her. But instead of running his tongue along her lips, he actually met her tongue with his while slipping partially inside her mouth. The sensations he was feeling made him want to feel what all of her mouth and tongue felt like; and he wasn't disappointed as Wendy wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss, trying to use her tongue to explore his mouth.

After finding out how good making out felt, Wendy still couldn't believe she was doing this with Goten; it was so surreal despite how real and how right it felt. Her thoughts slowly started to fade away as she focused on the sensations Goten was giving her. She tilted her head slightly in an attempt to explore more of his mouth, now relishing every detail. Goten continued to feel that strange urge for more; and he unconsciously moved his hands to the front of her waist before lightly pressing her into a nearby tree, hoping that pinning her in place would aid him in exploring her mouth. He moved his right hand to the side of her chest and felt pleasure from lightly squeezing her skin and then running his hand back down to her waist. He also felt some pleasure at the sensation of her faint moan in response to his massaging. He was about to worry if the moan was a good sign or a bad sign as to how she felt; but he had figured that if Wendy wasn't stopping the kiss, then it must be a good sign.

Wendy ran her hands up his neck, making his spine tingle as she did, before running her hands in the hair at the back of his head. Her soft squeezing and pulling of his hair elicited a moan from him as he started noticing a tightness in his stomach and an ache in his groin. Wendy began to feel similar sensations as well, not entirely wanting to go further than just kissing yet; but also not wanting to stop until she was sure he was feeling the same way she was. She pulled her lips away for a split second in an attempt to recover some air, realizing she was no longer in control of her magic if she was running out of breath, before quickly sealing her mouth with his. Wendy must have accidentally pressed too hard against him, because Goten had to take a step back. When he did so, he stepped onto a part of the tree's roots; and his foot slipped on the uneven surface.

Wendy landed on top of Goten softly, neither of them bothering to stop their kissing or massaging of each other. Wendy was now straddling his hips as he ran both his hands up her sides again before seeing if he could squeeze her any tighter against him. Wendy unconsciously moved her right hand from behind his head to the front of his chest, rubbing his pectoral as she did before running her hand along his abs. Her light pushing against his chest and stomach made her sit back to get a better angle as Goten started to lean upward to keep contact with her mouth. After a moment of sitting into his hips, Wendy found the sign she had been looking for. Despite her inexperience, she knew a few things about what happens when people go beyond kissing; so she knew the hardness she was feeling pressed against her leg was an indication of how much Goten wanted her. She began to admit to herself that she wanted him, but she also knew that they were definitely too young for that.

As she started to come back to Earthland, she figured they should probably stop before they lost all control. This new sense of desire and want was still strange and surprising to her, and she knew now that Goten was definitely having similar thoughts. They finally ended the kiss, trying to catch their breath as Wendy rested on top of him. Simultaneously, Goten and Wendy noticed one more thing about each other: they both realized how attractive they smelled to each other. Something about each other's scents made them subconsciously want to keep constant proximity to each other. Wendy took in his scent once more before rolling off to his right side.

"Wow." Goten said as he tried to find words to describe his thoughts, "That was way more than fun. It was-"

"Perfect?" Wendy asked to finish his sentence.

"Yes." Goten replied, grabbing her nearby hand and gently squeezing it, "And you are perfect too."

As she lay there next to him in their small clearing in the woods, feeling as happy as she could be, two more concerns mysteriously grew in her mind.

"Goten?" She asked, turning onto her side so she could put her free hand on his chest.

"Yeah?" Goten replied, staring into the branches and leaves of the trees above as he moved his free hand on top of the one she placed on his chest.

"I know you already promised me that you'd teach me how you fight, and I understand that you do need to find a way back home…" Wendy started,

"I said I'd do anything that would make you happy, didn't I?" Goten remarked, "So tell me what you want?"

"If you ever do find a way home, would you come back to see me?"

"Of course." Goten said without hesitation, turning his head to make sure she saw the seriousness in his eyes, "I may even come back to stay if I can."

Wendy felt Goten lightly squeeze the hand she had rested on his chest as she smiled warmly. Something about the way her eyes shined with joy caused happiness to well up inside him.

"I'll also promise you one more thing." Goten added, "I'll never kiss anyone but you. Ever."

Wendy thought about saying something to describe how happy she felt to hear him say that, but something in her told her that an action would speak louder than some words. Goten seemed to have thought the same thing. He turned on his side to face Wendy, feeling her hand shift as he kept it pressed against him, before he brought his lips to hers one more time; finalizing his promise.

After another moment of relaxing and enjoying each other's company, Goten realized how long they've been in this clearing. He had nearly forgotten about Natsu, Lucy, Charle, Happy, and the fish that were awaiting them. Wendy seemed to have the same thought, because she suddenly turned beet-red and quickly scrambled up.

"I haven't even changed yet!" She exclaimed, "Well, I can't smell them; so maybe we can just say I got lost and you found me after I had changed?"

"Sounds good to me." Goten said as he got up, "I can't wait to have some of that fish you caught."

At Phantom Lord H.Q.

"So they really did set up in the same place as before." Gajeel observed as he looked across the mountainous and desert-like landscape to examine the building, "I kinda admire the old guy's confidence."

"I was kind of surprised at how many of the dark wizards we knew." Gray added, "Master Jose must have gone on a serious recruitment drive."

"Indeed." Juvia agreed with Gray, "It's almost like he wants Phantom Lord to fill the spaces the Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart left in the Balam Alliance."

Suddenly, Lily fell to the ground with a thud.

"That's precisely what I want, my dear Juvia." An eerily familiar voice declared from all around them.

"My magic is nearly gone!" Lily explained as he tried to mask how weak he really felt. All around the foursome, Jose Porla's signature shades began to appear all around them, even blocking skyward from being a potential escape route.

"And I have no qualms with showing you just how unstoppable I am!" Jose's disembodied voice finished.

The last thing any of them remember seeing was the phantoms rush them and soar through them, draining almost all their magic instantly and knocking them unconscious.


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Unlucky

Gray was woken up by a strange sensation of movement and a building pressure in his head. His vision was slightly blurry as he woke, but he had enough of his bearings sorted out to know that he was upside down. He almost groaned in pain at the headache, the pinching of the chains on his ankles, and the soreness he felt across his body; but he caught himself when he realized that this might be his only chance to properly take in his surroundings.

All he could see in front of him only hinted at where he was located. From the look of the walls and lack of furniture combined with the fact that he was in chains, he seemed to be in some sort of dungeon. Gray couldn't help but question why dark guilds seemed to always have a dungeon. Deciding he needed to see more of the room, he turned his head in both directions before looking to examine exactly how he was being held upside down. The cell seemed empty except for himself; and the chains holding him up seemed to be some very strong steel. There was no way he was cutting himself free of those. He must have made enough noise moving around to gain someone's attention, because he now heard someone walking towards his cell.

"I hear we've caught a couple of Fairy Tail wizards." He heard a woman's voice question after hearing what sounded like his cell door being opened behind him.

"I'm curious to know how wizards like you get captured that easily." She stated as she remained behind him. Gray ignored her, trying to figure out if he could catch her off guard somehow.

"You can stop pretending to be asleep, Gray." The woman said flatly, "I have some questions I need you to answer."

"Why would I answer anything you ask me?" Gray quipped, trying unsuccessfully to turn around and face her.

"You want to join our guild, don't you?" She asked.

"Your master tell you that?" Gray wondered, with some condescension in his tone.

"Yes," the woman answered before spinning Gray around to reveal her face and whispering to him, "But he wasn't the first to tell me."

"What?" Gray replied as he looked at his interrogator. She had short black hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes; and she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was purple with white arms and a pair of jeans. He couldn't really guess her height from his current position; but if he had to guess, he'd say she seemed slightly shorter than himself.

"Who-?" Gray began to ask, but was cut off by her covering his mouth. She leaned in and whispered close to his ear.

"Do you want your little spy mission to succeed or not?" She demanded. Gray thought about how he should answer, given that she seemed to know more about him than she should have already.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gray replied, deciding not to trust her yet, "I came here to join Phantom Lord with my girlfriend. And you better not have hurt her, or I will kill you."

"I'm not going to hurt your stalker, Gray." She responded quietly, "But I will hurt you if you don't get what I'm trying to tell you right now!"

"What are you talking about?" Gray demanded, the pressure in his head had begun to bother him.

"I can't say anything more than this for now," She explained, still whispering, "I know the real reason you, Juvia, Gajeel, and Pantherlily are here; and I'm going to do whatever I can to help you."

"This might go a little easier for you," She then said, raising her voice, "If you give me the answers I want to hear."

"Whatever." Gray said dismissively, realizing that she was now acting.

"You said you came to join Phantom with your girlfriend." She inquired, "How long have you been dating?"

"Since the Grand Magic Games." Gray answered, "Why do you care?"

"What about Gajeel and the cat?" She also questioned, "Did you plan on joining with them as well?"

"Not at first." Gray explained, "Juvia and I ran into them after we snuck out of Magnolia. I don't even think anyone knows where we are yet."

"So you don't know Gajeel or the cat's reasons for coming to Phantom Lord?"

"No, and I don't care. Juvia trusted them, and that was enough for me."

Gray suddenly heard metal breaking before he landed face first into the ground. He slowly got up, glad to feel the pressure in his skull subsiding as he shrugged off the sting of the fall.

"One wrong move," The woman warned, "And I will hurt you. Now follow me."

Gray did as he was told, walking behind the mystery girl as she led him through the dungeon. All the cells he passed seemed to be empty; so he wondered where Juvia, Gajeel, and Lily were.

"You're not going to find them down here. They're already out their cells." The woman explained, "You were the last one to interrogate."

They reached a doorway that opened to reveal an unbelievably long stairwell. The woman held the door open and gestured for him to go through. He once again did as instructed, now leading their way up the stairs. After going down an innumerable amount of stairs, the woman told Gray to use the nearest door. When he did, the door opened to reveal a large hallway that was mostly undecorated except for the pillars that lined the walls. Gray was about to wonder where the rest of the dark wizards were until he spotted one leaning on a pillar to his left.

"I can't believe Porla didn't kill you." the short, impish, blue-skinned man complained, "Fairy trash."

"Be quiet, Snarl." The woman snapped at him, "You don't want our guest here to hurt you."

"Whatever, Beedel." Snarl snarled, "You're lucky to even be doing anything with us after what you did to the twins."

"They're lucky to still be walking after what they said to me." Beedel retorted. Gray felt a strange feeling of anger manifest inside him, though he did not understand why.

"Weren't you in Eisenwald?" Gray questioned Snarl, "You use sand magic, right?"

"That's right, and I'll use it on you if you're not careful." Snarl retorted.

"Didn't you see what happened to your friends that have met me?" Gray replied, "If twenty of your friends didn't scare me, what makes you think just you alone would? You're probably just as weak as the last time I saw you seven years ago."

"Why you…" Snarl growled, preparing to attack Gray until Beedel appeared behind him and chopped the back of his neck. Snarl's eyes went blank before he fell face first into the ground. The strange sensation of anger in Gray seemed to fade as Snarl went down, although Gray knew he didn't care anything for either of the two wizards in front of him. Though he did think that move Beedel just used was familiar.

"Sorry, Snarl." She said before walking back behind Gray, "But Master Porla would have done worse to you if you harmed his guest."

"You should have just let me handle him." Gray stated.

"I think you've angered enough of Phantom with that stunt you pulled on your way here." Beedel replied, "Some of them are still recovering from what you did to them."

"Good." Gray remarked, "Maybe a long enough recovery will teach them not to mess with me or Juvia."

Beedel smirked before turning to open a large set of doors for Gray. Behind the doors was a large round room with a massive spherical lacrima in the center on a stand in the center and a clock for a ceiling. The lacrima was flanked by four slightly smaller crystals, which were at the moment empty. Below each of those crystals were two gears that were powered by them and were connected to a larger cog that made the bottom section of the entire wall.

"Gray!" He heard his name called from the other side of the room. He looked towards the source to see Juvia running towards him. She nearly tackled him when she ran into him for a hug.

"You're not hurt are you?" She questioned, squeezing him as she asked.

"I'm fine, Juvia." Gray answered, returning her hug.

"That woman better not have done anything inappropriate to her Gray." She remarked darkly, irritating Beedel and getting Gray to slightly redden.

"What kind of woman do you think I am?" Beedel argued proudly before adding, "Hmph. You're probably just scared that I'd be more entertaining than you."

Juvia released Gray to turn and face the black-haired woman.

"If you even think about touching MY love," Juvia retorted, pointing a finger in Beedel's face, "I will drown you."

"Easy, ladies, please." A male voice pleaded to gain their attention.

"Sorry, Master." Juvia and Beedel simultaneously said as they turned and bowed to the speaker. Gray looked and saw Jose Porla standing at the other end of the room, wearing the same blue militarized outfit from when Fairy Tail defeated him. Standing behind him were Gajeel, Lily, and four others Gray didn't recognize -two of which were wearing hooded cloaks and cloth that masked their faces

"I was wondering what state our guest would be in when you brought him to me, to be honest, Beedel." Jose remarked as he gestured for the three to come closer, "But now I see my concerns were unfounded, well done."

"Thank you, Master." The woman replied, bowing her head slightly.

"So respectful." Jose commented with a grin, "You may be new to our ranks, but I already believe you may be a better addition to this guild than some of the wizards I brought in six years ago."

That strange sensation of anger flared momentarily again in Gray's mind, and he began to really wonder where it came from.

"How did the questioning go?" Jose asked Beedel, "It appears to have gone smoothly considering his apparently decent condition."

"His story was the same as the other three's." Beedel answered, "And I couldn't find any signs that he was lying to me."

"Good." Jose said before turning to one of the cloaked wizards, "What do you know of them, Edo?"

"My magic shows me that they have neither lied nor hidden any secrets from us." Edo's surprisingly young voice replied. Gray guessed that this Edo was, at most, in his twenties. Every part of the man's body was covered by his long, dark blue cloak with weird symbols drawn all over it, except for his face, which was covered by a black cloth that was drawn up over his nose. The only visible part of his body was his dark blue eyes and a small part of his pale forehead. The hood he wore on the cloak was lined with what appeared to be fangs, and Gray was sure the chain that held his cloak together had a skull clasp on either side.

"That's what I hoped you'd say." Porla remarked, grinning triumphantly.

Gray was wondering what type of magic Edo would have that would determine if Gray had been lying or not; and he was confused as to why the man's magic didn't work, though he wasn't going to complain about it.

"Now that all we're all gathered for this meeting." Jose began as the other seven wizards stood in a semi-circle around him, "I guess we should officially induct our newest members."

Gray looked around and noticed lacrima established for video communications. He guessed the rest of the guild that was watching from somewhere else in the building through that setup.

"For those of you that do not know," the former wizard saint continued, "Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox were both S-class wizards in Phantom Lord before it lost its rights as a legal guild. I am very proud of their participation in the Grand Magic Games and am more than overjoyed to be able to finally welcome them back.

"And the two new faces you see before you are Gray Fullbuster and Pantherlily."

Jose indicated to the two as he said their names before finishing.

"Pantherlily is Gajeel's loyal friend and companion, an Exceed that is capable of fighting as well as flying. He may have a gentle appearance at first, but there is a lot of power inside that cat. And if you haven't heard of Gray from the Grand Magic Games, then what you need to know about him is that his incredible ice magic is only rivalled by his love for our beautiful Juvia."

Juvia faked her embarrassment from his flattery, but did go red from Gray grabbing her hand when Jose began to talk about him.

"Now that that's out of the way," Jose started up again, "I have one more introduction to make. And it is a great surprise I've been waiting to reveal for quite some time.

"With the return of Juvia to our great guild, there is one more thing that can now be restored. Today, I proudly announce the new and improved Element Four!"

A small noise of cheering and the floor's rumbling answered Gray's wondering as to where the rest of the guild was.

"You all know Sol, The Great Earth," Jose stated as the green-haired, monocle and brown suit-wearing man bowed. One of the crystals surrounding the Jupiter Cannon's lacrima lit up yellow as it was finally activated; and the gears underneath it began turn, rotating the small section of the wall that connected to it. Gray guessed that Jose would activate each crystal as he introduced each member of the Four. Makarov was definitely not lying about Porla's theatricality.

"Aria of the Heavens,"

The blindfolded air mage cried as he stepped forward. Another of the four crystals lit up, this one turning green.

"It's so sad!" Aria declared as tears flowed from underneath his blindfold, "We will be the sorrow of the Magic Council and all light guilds!"

"Juvia of the Great Sea," Juvia created an orb of water that orbited her right hand once before flowing directly into her palm. The third crystal turned blue as its gears began to rotate.

"Sadly," Jose added before introducing the fourth member, "Totomaru, The Great Fire, would not join our cause due to his successful career as a teacher of fire magic. As saddened as I was to hear this, I became very excited when our mysterious friend, Edo came immediately to our aid with a potential candidate.

"Seven years ago, this member was struck down by none other than Zeref himself. He was dead until Edo secretly went to him and revived him, using magic not even I can comprehend. Ever since they came to us, this man has worked for us on the condition we never reveal his identity until he felt ready to officially return to the land of the living. That day is today.

"Allow me to introduce the newest and possibly the strongest member of the Element Four. Zancrow, the Flame God Slayer!"

Gray, Gajeel, Juvia, and Lily all stared disbelief as the fourth crystal filled with black energy. They had thought that everyone in Grimoire Heart that didn't defect or flee was killed at Tenrou Island. Juvia had remembered seeing Zancrow drop dead for herself after Zeref had attacked him. What kind of magic did Edo have that allowed him to restore people to life?

"How?" Juvia questioned aloud, getting an evil smirk and chuckle from the yellow haired fire mage, his red eyes glowing menacingly.

"I never imagined I'd be on the same side as anyone that wears a Fairy emblem." Zancrow remarked, suppressing the urge to cackle, "And that I'd ever find someone more powerful than my former master Hades, or a guild as strong as Grimoire Heart. But with Edo, a former wizard saint for his master, the rest of the Element Four and a dragon slayer, I don't see how anyone can defeat us!"

As black flames danced around the room and the Jupiter lacrima began to rapidly fill with energy, Juvia, Gray, Gajeel, and Lily all had a similar thought:

_This is really bad._

Back at Fairy Tail…

Gohan really wanted to hit something right now. What he saw through Gray and Juvia was already enough to warrant some stress, but he never expected to see HER in the middle of that room. Gohan was wondering what she was up to when he hadn't heard from her or felt her ki since two days ago, and he had begun to form the thought in the back of his mind to go search for her. He certainly didn't expect to find her in a dark guild.

And why would she pick Beedel, a translation of her name, as her alias? Couldn't she have at least come up with a separate nickname? Gohan wondered what his wife had to do to impress Jose Porla so well, since he clearly trusted her. This line of thought is exactly why he had asked her to not get involved in that whole debacle. Did she have to hurt an innocent person? Maybe kill someone? Gohan never wanted Videl to ever have the weight of taking someone's life on her conscience. He still remembered her face when she thought she killed Spopovich during the WMAT; but now he was looking at the possibility that she may be forced to kill an innocent person. And did he also hear that some men there were hitting on her? On his Videl?!

Gohan's energy flared slightly as his anger did. He knew Videl would never do anything to betray him, but Gohan didn't want her to betray herself as well.

"Everything okay, Gohan?" He heard Mirajane ask him from behind. Gohan guessed she must have come into the data room to check on him.

"Yeah." Gohan lied as stood up and turned around, "Why? What's up?"

"Just work mostly." Mirajane replied, "Now I'm trying to figure out why I felt an air current coming from here when I walked in."

"Oh, that was probably me." Gohan said as he scratched his head, "I guess I lost a little bit of control while meditating."

"Are you sure everything's fine, Gohan?" She asked again, "It looks like something's bothering you."

"Am I that transparent?" Gohan questioned.

"A little." Mira told him honestly, "But I know what to look for. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I was just thinking about something, and it's a bit of a sore subject." Gohan answered, thinking he wasn't really lying with that answer.

"It must be." Mirajane agreed, moving closer to him, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Thanks, Mirajane," Gohan replied before joking, mostly to himself, "But there's no helping this."

"Oh." Mirajane said with Gohan noticing the slightly downhearted tone.

The next question Mira gave Gohan caught him off-guard.

"Is it about Pan's mom?" slipped out of Mirajane's mouth. The thought was crossing her mind, but she didn't know why she felt the urge to ask.

"What?" Gohan questioned with surprise, wondering if Mirajane had discovered something about Videl.

"I'm sorry!" Mirajane apologized quickly, turning away from him in embarrassment, "I don't really know why I asked that!"

Mirajane had seemed angry with herself for prying, and now it was Gohan's turn to see her frustration.

"I'm just going to go now." She said the next instant, thinking she had just overstayed her welcome. Gohan knew that letting her walk away would probably make it easier to keep his secrets, but he also knew he'd be angry with himself for upsetting one of his friends.

"Mira, wait." He called to her before she reached the doorway. She stopped with her hand on the door before turning back to hear him.

"Thank you." Gohan said, slightly surprising her, "For worrying about me, I mean. It makes me feel better when I remember that I have friends that care about me. You shouldn't be upset with yourself for trying to help me."

Mirajane smiled, cheered up by hearing Gohan refer to her as his friend.

"I know." She agreed before adding, "But we've only known each other for a few days, and that was a really personal question."

"Don't worry about it." Gohan told her, "I mean, with all the food you've given me, I'm pretty sure I owe you more respect than you show to me. I'd be an idiot to be bothered by a caring person like you asking an honest question."

"Thank you, Gohan." Mirajane replied, "I'm glad to know I didn't offend you. I'm going to get back to work now. A bartender does have to be by the bar, after all. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will." Gohan said, "I'll probably be out of here in a minute or so to check on Goten. He's probably got some fish on him by now, and I think Trunks is going to be looking for him too."

"That sounds nice." Mirajane replied, "Be sure to remind Goten he promised me how he cooks his fish."

"I will." Gohan said with a light laugh. Mirajane began to push on the door before her curiosity got the better of her.

"Um, Gohan?" She began, getting his attention one last time, "I can understand if you don't want to go into details, but I can't help from wondering if I guessed right."

"Oh." Gohan said, realizing that he had never answered her question, "Yeah, you did. You really do know how to read people; it's a skill."

"I guess it comes with the job." Mira said in response to his compliment before adding, "But if you ever do want to talk about it with someone, I'm always willing to listen."

"I know you are." Gohan replied kindly before adding, "And I'm sure I'll tell you all about it eventually."

With that, Mirajane threw on another of her signature smiles before turning and walking out the door.

Outside of Magnolia

"Well, that went better than I expected." Wendy commented as she and Goten walked back to their training spot. Goten was dragging the fish he caught behind them. The other one had been eaten by everyone at Natsu's fishing spot.

"What do you mean?" Goten asked.

"I was afraid Natsu, Charle, or Happy would try to beat you up." Wendy answered.

"Why?" Goten wondered aloud.

"Because I'm like a sister to them." Wendy explained, "And sometimes I think Charle looks at me like I'm her daughter. They don't want you to hurt me."

"Why would I hurt you?" Goten questioned, giving Wendy a look of confusion.

"I know you wouldn't try to." Wendy stated, "But sometimes things happen."

"I think I understand." Goten replied, "They just want what's best for you. I've heard my mom say that to me and Gohan before."

"I think they were more surprised than anything else." Wendy remarked, "If they didn't trust you or like you, I'm sure that Natsu or Charle would have tried to hurt you."

"So they won't be mad at me for long?" Goten questioned.

"They won't." Wendy replied, "The one I expect to be angry the longest is Charle, but she'll be fine too. She likes you, even if she won't say it."

"That's good." Goten stated, "Now I'm wondering what Trunks' face is going to look like when I tell him I've got a girlfriend."

"What about Gohan?" Wendy asked after she giggled.

"He'll probably give me some advice or say something that he'll have to explain to me." Goten said with a laugh, "But I don't think he'll be surprised. He seems to know what I'm thinking before I do sometimes."

"What does Gohan think about me?" Wendy asked, wondering if Goten even knew the answer to that.

"I don't know." Goten answered honestly, "I mean, he must trust you, since he's let me train you and tell you about Saiyans and all that. So that's a good thing, right?"

"It is." Wendy replied with a smile. She was worried that Gohan would tell Goten it was too soon for him to be dating someone. Wendy was starting to feel slightly possessive of Goten, and she began to think she might try to fight anyone that got between them. The thought of her and Goten being taken away from each other bothered her, so she grabbed his hand in source of comfort. Goten seemed to read her perfectly.

"I'm not going to let anyone tell me to stay away from you." He said as he lightly squeezed her hand, "You know that, right?"

"I do." Wendy agreed, pressing closer to him so she could wrap her arm around his, "It's just because we're so young that people would assume we don't know what we're doing or why we're dating."

"I know why." Goten stated bluntly as he caught her gaze, "You're pretty, you're nice, you're smart, you're strong, you're my age, you're more than fun to be with, and you like me. There's more, but I'm not smart enough to find the right words for it."

"What is it?" Wendy questioned. She knew how he felt about her personality and looks; but she knew that what Goten was trying to figure out was the important part, the part she was trying to find the right words to describe as well.

"It's weird sometimes." Goten explained as he looked ahead and wracked his brains, "It's like… When I woke up the day after I met you, the first thing I wanted to do was to do something nice for you. I wanted to go on a job with you because when I wasn't around you I felt like something was off. And when I'm pretty much anywhere, even when I'm training with Gohan, Trunks, Dad or my Mom, I usually get bored and start looking for something to do. But when I talk to you, I don't get bored. I felt like that before you told me what kissing, boyfriends, and girlfriends were. And then when we were kissing, which felt great, a lot of those things started to make sense to me; like I should listen to those feelings all the time. Sometimes it feels like something deep down takes control of me, and it hurts when I even think about going against it."

"I think I just found the right word for it." Wendy informed him as she leaned into him again, "But I think it might be better for you to find your own word about how you feel. There are some things you just can't be taught."

"I think I know what you mean." Goten replied, "Because if I just say the things you tell me or do just the things you tell me to do, then it's not really me that's saying them or doing them, right?"

"And you say you aren't smart?" Wendy questioned. Goten would have scratched his head if his hands weren't busy. Instead, he simply chuckled and squeezed Wendy's hand.

"Goten," Wendy said to make sure she had his attention, "You do know I feel the same way about you, right?"

"That's another thing I notice." Goten remarked, "Whenever you ask me something like that, I can only think of a few ways to answer that; and they all say the same thing."

"What's that?" Wendy questioned, meeting his happy gaze once again.

"Duh." Goten said before he gave Wendy a peck on the lips, which she happily accepted. The two walked in silence together for a while until they reached the clearing they had been using for training. When they got there, they were surprised to be greeted by Gohan, Pan, and Trunks.

"Hey, guys!" Goten greeted cheerily, "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you, of course." Trunks replied before noticing that Goten and Wendy were holding hands.

"I figured you'd have a lot of fish by now." Gohan explained, "But I guess that got interrupted."

"Yeah, that's kind of a funny story." Goten said as he released the fish to scratch his head.

"Does it explain why you guys are holding hands?" Trunks questioned, making Wendy release her grip on Goten and turn red.

"Not really." Goten replied, "That's another story. But the fishing one ended with Lucy catching me."

"She caught you?" Gohan asked, curious.

"Yeah." Goten explained, "Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were fishing up the river, and I guess we followed the fish that far because I managed to catch my hand on Lucy's hook. Her and Natsu then pulled me out the water. It hurt a little, but Wendy healed me up and then we ate some fish with them."

"Where's Charle at?" Gohan asked.

"Forget that!" Trunks interjected, "I want to hear the answer to my question first! Why were you holding hands?"

"Well, the answers to both those questions are kinda related." Wendy began to explain.

"Yeah." Goten chipped in, "She's mad because we're dating."

"You're what?!" Trunks shouted in surprise. Gohan just smiled in response as he watched Wendy's skin redden.

"Yep." Goten said to Trunks, "I got a girlfriend before you did."

"No way!" Trunks insisted, "You don't even know what a girlfriend is!"

"Yeah I do." Goten argued, "It's a girl you like and think is very pretty and fun to be around that you go out on dates with. There's a lot more to it than that, but I'm not going to say, 'cause I bet you don't know what a real girlfriend is."

Trunks was going to keep up the argument with Goten, but Gohan spoke before him.

"I do have to admit," Gohan stated before glancing at Wendy again, "That was probably the best answer to prove you know what you're talking about. That's if you're not mimicking something someone said."

"I'm not." Goten explained, "Wendy explained to me what a girlfriend is, but she didn't say we should date or anything. That was me. Besides, Wendy said she thinks it's better I find my own words to describe how I feel. She won't even tell me the word she would use to describe the whole thing so I can't just repeat what she says."

"Well, Wendy is a very smart girl for doing so." Gohan replied, also making a mental note that Goten said Wendy had one word for how she felt about Goten, "It sort of sounds like you two know what you are doing. I'm just kinda surprised it happened this fast."

"You knew this would happen?" Trunks, Wendy, and Goten all asked simultaneously in their own different tones; Trunks' of confusion, Wendy's of surprise, and Goten's of curiosity.

"I knew it was a possibility." Gohan answered honestly, "Though Videl thought of it before me."

"Who's Videl?" Wendy asked, confused, "Do I know her?"

"You don't." Gohan answered, "Yet. Can you give me a second to talk to Goten before I fully explain?"

Wendy nodded, not totally surprised Gohan would want to talk to Goten alone. Gohan turned to Trunks.

"Do you want to go ahead and catch us some fish?" He asked the lavender haired Saiyan, "That one fish isn't going to be enough for all of us."

"You bet." Trunks said happily as he took his gi top off, "I bet all the fish I'll catch will be bigger than that one."

"Just watch how far upstream you go." Wendy told Trunks, "You probably don't want to run into Natsu and Lucy the same way we did."

"Yeah, probably not." Trunks said with a smirk before taking his pants off and heading for the river. Wendy noticed she didn't look Trunks over like she had Goten, nor did she really care when he took his clothes off. But then again, she thought, she didn't find Trunks as attractive as Goten.

"You don't mind watching Pan for me, do you Wendy?" Gohan asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"Of course not." Wendy answered honestly, "Pan's fun to be around."

"Thanks." Gohan said before walking up to Goten and grabbing him by the shoulder.

"We'll be back in a second." Gohan added before he put two fingers to his head and disappeared with his little brother.

"Wendy's fish was really good and really big," Happy remarked to Charle as Natsu and Lucy continued their training, "But your fish tasted the best."

Charle was about to form some kind of response when Gohan and Goten appeared right next to them. Charle and Happy both jumped in surprise, with Happy also yelping. Natsu and Lucy heard the commotion and stopped what they were doing to see what was up. When they saw Gohan and Goten, they both decided to take a break.

Gohan was apologizing for startling them before Charle started to go off on him.

"I think you need to have more than a few words with that boy!" they heard Charle yell at Gohan.

"That's what I'm doing right now." Gohan explained, "And as soon as I'm done with him, I'm going to talk to you."

"Good." Charle stated with her arms crossed indignantly, "Maybe then I won't feel the urge to claw his eyes out."

Gohan smiled weakly before leading Goten away from the group. He found a clearing that seemed a decent enough distance away before turning to Goten.

"So." He said to start, "Why are we here?"

"Because I said I'm Wendy's boyfriend?" Goten answered, thinking that was probably the right answer.

"Yes," Gohan agreed before rephrasing, "But do you have any idea why I'm talking to you about it?"

"Because you want to know what I think about dating Wendy?" Goten asked.

"That's right." Gohan replied, "And depending on what I hear, I'll have something to say after. So, why would you want Wendy to be your girlfriend?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Goten explained, "She's pretty, nice, strong, smart, and she likes me. And I already know so much about her. I've been trying to learn everything I can about her."

"Why?" Gohan questioned.

"I don't know." Goten answered honestly, "I mean, I like getting to know my friends; but I don't think I've even paid Mom that much attention when she'd tell me to listen to her stories. And getting to know Wendy means that I get to talk to her, which is never boring."

"I see." Gohan replied thoughtfully, "And what makes you think she looks pretty?"

"Her eyes are warm and brown that shine when she talks, and you can tell what she's thinking when you look at them. Her blue hair is calming to look at, and I find myself thinking every time I look at it; and you know how weird that is for me. Her hands are soft and when she touches me, I feel calmer and excited at the same time; and I don't really want to move out of her reach when she grabs my hand or shoulder."

"How do you know she likes you?" Gohan questioned.

"Well, she's really nice to me." Goten answered, "But Wendy's nice to everyone, so that doesn't really stand out. She gets really scared even when she thinks I could get hurt. Sometimes when we were training she'd hesitate to hit me. I've even had to argue with her to get her to try to hit me. She thought I had drowned earlier today, and her face showed she was really, really scared."

"Besides her being worried about your safety," Gohan added, "Is there anything else she's done to show her interest? Maybe something weird you don't understand?"

"Now that I think about it." Goten remarked, "I noticed she was staring at me and her face was red when I took my clothes off to go swimming. I thought it was just because it was weird to do that in front of girls, like Trunks had said; but then when Trunks did the same thing, she didn't seem to care at all. She said she wants to make me happy too. And she did say she wanted to kiss me."

"You two kissed?" Gohan asked. Goten nodded happily.

"Right here, actually." He informed his brother.

"Did she tell you how to kiss?" Gohan asked.

"No." Goten replied, "She told me there was a difference depending on who you kissed, but she said she wasn't sure she knew how to kiss."

"So you knew how?" Gohan wondered, "How?"

"I'd seen you and Videl kiss before." Goten explained, "So I just did what I'd seen you do before and then tried to figure the rest out."

"Okay," Gohan began as he collected his thoughts, "So you find her attractive not just in looks, but in personality; and you know what that means when I say it?"

Goten nodded.

"Though even I will admit it's hard to tell what a girl's thinking if she doesn't say it, you can tell she's attracted to you for whatever her reasons are?"

Goten nodded again.

"And you'd do anything you could to make her happy? Even if that meant doing something you might not usually do?"

Goten nodded without hesitation.

"What would you do if someone tried to kill her?" Gohan asked with a straight face, "What if they succeeded?"

"They wouldn't." Goten said bluntly with a hint anger on his face, "Because I'd hurt them before they would get anywhere near her."

"And what about going home?" Gohan questioned, "If I told you to go back to Earth, leave Wendy, and not come back here, would you listen to me?"

"No." Goten said flatly, "Wendy's already asked me about that. I promised I'd always find a way back to her if I had to leave, because being around her makes me happy; and she's happier when I'm around."

"Alright, then. There's one more thing I need to talk to you about." Gohan stated, "And this one could get weird."

"What is it?" Goten questioned.

"When you and Wendy kissed, what did you feel?" Gohan asked.

"At first I felt really happy and calm." Goten answered, "But then it started to feel really good and I started to get excited and I wanted to just keep kissing and touching her."

"Did you notice anything physically happen to you after kissing?" Gohan asked, when Goten looked confused, he made a gesture as he added, "You know, anything down there?"

"Now that I think about it," Goten said thoughtfully, "I did feel really weird after, and it was hard."

"Okay." Gohan said before taking a second to think, "Now sit down, because this is going to sound strange. I also want you to promise to never talk about this with anyone that I tell you it's inappropriate to talk about it with, okay?"

Goten nodded, noting the seriousness of Gohan's expression.

"Listen close and ask me any questions that come to mind, because some of this can be confusing at first and it's a lot to take in. And given the way you think, we might be here for a while."

After what seemed forever to Goten, though it was actually more like ten minutes, the Son brothers emerged from their clearing in the woods. Goten's face was still slightly red, and his brain was racing to process all the new information he had just received about humans, Saiyans, and a few other topics.

Charle was sitting in the exact spot that Gohan had seen her in when they had walked away. She did seem to be a little less upset at least.

"You understand everything I told you?" Gohan asked one more time.

"Yeah." Goten answered cheerily, "It makes sense now."

"Good." Gohan replied, glad to see that their discussion didn't seem to affect him too badly, "Now go back by Trunks, Pan, and Wendy. Tell them I'll be there in a minute."

"You're just going to let him go back by Wendy unsupervised?" Charle questioned Gohan forcefully.

"Trunks and Pan are there." Gohan stated, "And Goten isn't going to try anything. He just promised me that."

"If they still think they're dating," Charle argued, "Then I don't like it."

"Well that's why I need to talk to you as well." Gohan said before noticing Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were trying to listen in, "Give me one second."

Gohan walked up to Natsu, apologizing before grabbing his arm warping away with him. Lucy and Happy looked on shocked and confused until Gohan reappeared to grab them and disappear with them as well. When he reappeared in front of Charle, she started the conversation.

"Where did you take them?" She asked, curiously.

"The other side of Magnolia." Gohan answered, "They were trying to listen in, and there's somethings the others in Fairy Tail can't know about me, Trunks, Pan, or Goten. At least not yet, anyway."

"If it's so secret, then why are you telling me?" She demanded.

"Because part of it involves Wendy now." Gohan stated pointedly.

Charle did not like the sound of this.

"It's not bad is it?" She asked, hesitatingly.

"No," Gohan said, "There's nothing dangerous or anything like that to worry about. It just explains a few things about us. Just know that everything I'm about to say is true, and that I am not making fun of you."

"Okay…" Charle said.

"The first thing you need to know about us is that we're not from Earthland. All four of us were born and raised on a planet called Earth. No one born on Earth has magic, and if an Earthling wants to fight; he'd have to train very hard and become very strong and skilled. This is the training that Wendy has been receiving from Goten. We were doing some similar training a few days ago when we were suddenly brought here. We aren't one hundred percent sure how we got here ourselves, but we're here. Do you believe me so far?"

"Well, I can tell you're not lying." Charle replied with some apprehension in her voice, "And this _is_ Earthland we're in. Anything can happen around here."

"Good." Gohan said before continuing, "Because this is the important part. You see, Goten, Trunks, and I were born on Earth; but our fathers were not. My father and Trunks' father were born on a planet called Vegeta, and it was home to a warrior race of beings called the Saiyans; until it was destroyed. Now there's only three pure-blooded Saiyans left that we know of, so we're learning more about ourselves as time goes on. My dad and Trunks' were both Saiyans that eventually married humans on Earth and had children. Goten, Trunks, and I are half-Saiyan and half-human. The Saiyan DNA in us seems to be dominant, only picking up human traits that make us stronger or are minor ones like hair and eye color.

"And as I said before, the Saiyans were a warrior race, and their evolution developed to strengthen them in combat and survival. That includes reproduction. I'll try to make it quick and easy to understand.

"Saiyans, due to their history in combat, are very dependent on their instincts. It saved them in combat and kept their planet populated, despite how often Saiyans died or left. Saiyans, like dragon slayers, have all their senses heightened; we can see far, hear very well, taste strongly, and pick up the faintest scents -and I hate to say this one, though it is relevant to our discussion, but even arousal. Not only do we get strong physical impulses that result from our senses, but our bodies heal faster. If a Saiyan survives a near fatal injury, he can heal to become many times stronger than before his injury. Our slower aging, which allows us to stay in our prime way longer than a human, comes from that accelerated regrowth, which also affects our metabolism. We need to consume much more food than the average human in order to function properly.

"Anyway, to the part you care about. A Saiyan will reach sexual maturity slightly earlier than a human would; but given that, from what I know about Wendy, the dragon-like traits she received from her magic might quicken her maturity as well. And since that Wendy does have a mature mindset about certain things already, which I'm sure comes from her past and her need to take care of herself."

"You're not wrong there." Charle interjected before Gohan continued.

"So we're now talking about two teenagers with accelerated sexual maturities and heightened senses that allow them to easily notice their physical attraction to each other. Combining that with them both being highly instinctual individuals and that they seem to have emotionally connected; it wouldn't be a surprise if they'd be sexually active by the time they're sixteen, if they didn't have any guidance. But they do, so that won't happen unless they really want it to."

"I understand the situation now, I think." Charle said thoughtfully, "But none of this is entirely comforting. Are there any good sides to this?"

"There is." Gohan answered, "There hasn't been a recorded count of rape in Saiyan society as far as our one expert on its society is aware, so it seems that Saiyans can only have consensual sex. Then, instincts involved in mating create a protective and sometimes jealous nature. Meaning that Wendy and Goten will always have at least one very powerful person watching their back, and that they will always try to care for one another as long as they are together. I don't know about dragons, but I believe that a Saiyan mates with one person for life; so there's zero to no chance that Goten would be unfaithful to her at any point in time. And if they would ever have children, their kids could have both dragon and Saiyan traits; and they'd eventually would be physically super powered with powerful magical abilities.

"Those are all good things," Charle said, "But do you really think their relationship will work out?"

"Well, Goten's not one to give up on anything he's committed to." Gohan stated.

"Wendy is the same way." Charle added.

"Have you talked to Wendy about Goten?" Gohan asked, "And I don't mean just telling her to be careful. I mean to ask her what she likes about him and why she finds him attractive. I did that with Goten just now; and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that he's already in love."

"So human emotions do factor into Saiyan mating?" Charle questioned, still uncomfortable with the word.

"They intensify the good parts and nullify any of the bad." Gohan answered, "I think Goten would be even more protective of Wendy than a full-blooded Saiyan, and if anything were to happen to her I'm sure he'd be plenty times more dangerous."

"So you're basically saying that there's nothing going to separate them except for themselves, and that if they or we aren't careful that we may have Dragon Slayer-Saiyan hybrids before their eighteen?" Charle asked to sum it all up.

"That's a negative outlook on it." Gohan replied, "But yeah."

"And two last questions." Charle stated before asking, "How are you able to go into such detail about this stuff? Did you expect this to happen?"

"To answer your first question," Gohan explained, "Back on Earth, when I'm not busy training or raising a kid, I'm usually buried in biologic research. I've been trying to find out how to write about how I fight, though that's not related to anything right now; and I think scientific knowledge about Saiyan-Human hybrids will give me a good idea what Earth's distant future will be like."

"I see. Well then," Charle stated as she floated into the air, "I'm going to go back by Wendy and never leave her side until she's at least eighteen years old."

Gohan chuckled before offering Charle a hand. As soon as she took it, the two disappeared to rejoin Pan. Goten, Trunks, and Wendy.

In the town of Magnolia…

"I still can't believe that jerk just up and did that. We were only just wondering what they were saying." Natsu whined quietly as he sat across from Lucy while they waited for food, "No one teleports me without my permission."

"Looks like Gohan did." Happy remarked from his spot on the corner of the table.

"Yeah," Natsu replied, "And I'm gonna get pay back for that."

"As strong as I know you are, Natsu." Lucy chimed in, "I don't think you'll be beating him in a fight any time soon."

"One day I will." Natsu insisted, "But until then, I'll just find some other way to get payback."

"Like what?" Lucy questioned. Natsu thought quietly for a second, thinking of nothing before answering.

"I don't know…" Natsu said, "But I'm going to think of something really funny soon."

"Sure you are." Happy and Lucy said disbelievingly.

Phantom Lord Headquarters…

"Well, they didn't try to kill us at least." Lily thought aloud as he and Gajeel rested in the room Jose had given them.

"Not yet." Gajeel remarked, "But that Zancrow has more than a few screws loose. I won't be surprised if he gets bored soon and starts killing off the weaker guys here."

"You think Master Jose would allow that?" Lily questioned.

"Maybe." Gajeel answered, "He's always been fine with us beating the crap out each other as long as we weren't fighting some enemy. But I don't know if he'll be happy about us murdering each other. It'll probably be a good idea either way to keep our guard up."

"I agree." Lily stated before asking, "How do you think this strange Edo character saved Zancrow anyway?"

"Beats me." Gajeel replied with a shrug, "But there is definitely something up with him, besides whatever else his magic can do. I thought I was going crazy, but I could have sworn he smelled like a dragon."

"Is it possible that he's another dragon slayer?" Lily thought aloud.

"He could be." Gajeel said, "But there was something off about his scent, like I wasn't smelling just him. Maybe if I was in a room alone with him I might be able to learn more, but it doesn't sound like he does one on one interactions very often."

"I'm sure we'll find out more about him soon enough." Lily added, "It seems to me that he's important to whatever the master has planned."

"You're not wrong." Gajeel said before laying down on his bed and stretching with a yawn.

"Wake me up if Zancrow's hovering over my bed plotting to murder me or something." Gajeel joked, "The old man wants us to do something for him later tonight, and that little dungeon visit was kind of tiring."

Lily chuckled before agreeing. Hopping off his corner of the bed, he found his bag he had packed before leaving Fairy Tail. He reached into it and pulled out the Musica Sword. Walking to the window with it, he turned it over a couple times and examined it. The handle was somewhat worn but in good condition, the edges were still sharp, but the sword's gleam seemed kind of lackluster. Glad that he had something to do to kill time, Lily began looking for his materials to polish the sword.

In Jose Porla's throne room…

"So flashy, yet so simplistic." The hooded and masked Edo said as he ran a hand over one of the throne's arms, scratching his dark blue nails into it to leave claw marks along its side, "It's so predictable and boring."

"You scarred his seat." Zancrow observed before turning to Edo, "You know Porla's probably going to complain about that, Master."

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that here?" Edo scolded calmly, "The only Master here is Jose Porla. I'm just a mysterious dark wizard with mysterious powers. Start calling the wrong person master here and poor Porla's pride will be wounded. And then I'll have to do some other amazing feat to impress him and get him to cooperate once again. I didn't spend years training you just so you could ruin my plans with poor etiquette did I?"

"I am sorry for my mistake, but if you're worried about offending him, Ma- I mean- Edo," Zancrow questioned, "Then why did you just vandalize his throne?"

"Did you know that this throne room wasn't even a part of this building originally?" Edo asked, though he didn't wait for an answer, "This whole room was in the main Phantom Lord guild hall before they were defeated by Fairy Tail. When confronted with the task of creating a new place for himself, he decided proudly to simply use this old one. He couldn't even find the creativity to create a new throne room! He just redid all his previous ideas, from the architecture to the recruitment. Creativity is what breeds success. Use the same ideas over and over again, your enemies will figure you out."

"That's a good lecture, Edo." Zancrow replied, "But you still haven't answered my question."

"I was getting there, my dear god slayer," Edo quipped, "But I see you're impatient, so I'll give you the short answer: I didn't vandalize his throne, I just added another sign of greatness and power to it. One that I hope he will find."

"He?" Zancrow questioned, "Who is he?"

"Why, Zancrow," Edo answered as he turned to face his apprentice, "You don't think I raise people from the dead just because I get lonely, do you? No, I raised you because you are a god slayer, and HE is the god I want to kill."

Back at Fairy Tail…

"Well, I'm glad that's all settled." Gohan declared as he walked towards the front doors of the guild hall with Pan on his shoulder and Trunks beside him.

"I still can't believe Goten's got a girlfriend before me." Trunks complained, "I thought I was the cool one."

Gohan chuckled as they reached the doors.

"Don't worry, Trunks, I'm sure you'll find yourself a girlfriend someday as well." He reassured him before adding with a smirk, "That's if you don't pass out every time a girl says hello."

"That was one time!" Trunks argued as Gohan laughed and shoved open the doors, "I'm not going to do it again, ever. Watch, I can handle talking to girls just fine."

"As much as I'd like to watch you prove yourself," Gohan replied, "I've got some business to attend to before I can kick back and relax."

"What's going on?" Trunks asked as they reached the bar and was greeted by Mirajane.

"Nothing yet." Gohan answered honestly, "I've just got a bit of news to relay to Master Makarov. That's all. Can you watch Pan for me for a second?"

"Yeah, sure." Trunks said as Gohan set her on the bar next to the younger demi-Saiyan, "As long as she doesn't start pulling my hair again."

Gohan chuckled before putting two fingers to his head and disappearing. He reappeared in an unfamiliar room next to Fairy Tail's master, who seemed to have been expecting him.

"Ah, Gohan." Makarov happily as he greeted the demi-Saiyan, "You have new developments on our four friends in Phantom, I suppose?"

"Yes I do, Master." Gohan replied, "And one of them is that we actually have five friends in Phantom."

"What do you mean?" Makarov questioned, "Who else in Phantom is an ally to our guild?"

"My wife, Master." Gohan answered, "She joined them two days before Gray's team did."

"You don't seem too happy about that." Makarov noted, "Why?"

"I asked her not to go." Gohan explained, "I don't want her doing things that way. I mean, having to lie to our friends is already bad enough. But, she may have to hurt people to keep up her act. I know she's a fighter like me, and that she can't sit on the side and just watch; its one of the many reasons I love her. But-"

"But her hands are still clean and you want to keep it that way, for her sake." Makarov interrupted. Gohan nodded.

"When Jose asks one of Gray's team to return to Fairy Tail and spy on us, which I'm sure he will," Makarov said, "You can explain the situation to whoever that is and ask them to get her out of there. If you don't change your mind about the issue, that is."

"Thank you, Master." Gohan replied gratefully.

"Now, is there anything else to know about Phantom Lord?" Makarov questioned.

"Yes." Gohan answered, "Master Porla has reinstated the Element Four, I think he called it; and reactivated the uh, Jupiter Cannon. I think that's what Gray called it."

"As I thought he would." Makarov remarked, "Who are the members of the Element Four?"

"Well, that's where it gets kind of confusing." Gohan explained, "Juvia is a member, and so are these two guys, Aria and Sol. But the fourth guy seemed to cause a lot of confusion for our friends when he was revealed. His name is Zancrow."

"Zancrow, the Flame God Slayer?" Makarov asked, getting a nod from Gohan, "I thought he was killed by Zeref."

"So did Gray's team." Gohan added, "And I think I saw Juvia's memory of him being killed. But Porla said that this other guy, named Edo, brought him back."

"Edo?" Makarov repeated, "Do you know anything else about him?"

"No, Master." Gohan answered, "The man's body was hidden entirely from sight. But it sounds like he has incredible magic."

"He just might." Makarov agreed, "What about the lower members of the guild? Do any of them stand out in any way?"

"Not really." Gohan said, "But from what I could gather from our friends is that a number of them were people Fairy Tail's already beaten before. I guess they needed somewhere to go for work if they weren't arrested or reformed."

"So Jose's assembling a guild out of people with grudges against Fairy Tail." Makarov thought aloud, "And even having one of the Seven Kin brought back to life. I think I may have underestimated Jose's recruitment capabilities. Considering everything that's going on right now, I think we're lucky to have gotten as much information as we have this soon; but there is a concern in the back of my mind saying if we aren't careful, we won't be lucky for very long."

"Should we get Gray's team and my wife out of there?" Gohan asked.

"It's up to you and your wife if she leaves Phantom or not, "Makarov answered, "But we still need Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, and Lily there so we can learn more about this Edo character. Something tells me that he might be important."

"I agree." Gohan stated, "Why else would his identity be hidden?"

"My thoughts exactly." Makarov said before putting on a smile, "Now how about we go and make our appearance at the guild?"

"I've been making my appearances, Master." Gohan replied with a smile, "It's just you that's been in hiding these past two days. But, yes, I could go for some R and R after everything I've had to deal with today, aside from the Phantom Lord issue."

"Oh, really?" Makarov asked, "What else has gone on that I'm not aware of yet?"

Meanwhile…

For the second time in a week, the noise of cups crashing into the ground could be heard at Fairy Tail.

"Wendy and Goten are dating?!" Mirajane repeated in shock as she stared dumbly at Lucy and Natsu.

"That's what they told us." Lucy said as she played with her cup, "And they sounded pretty serious about it."

"But it's been only a few days since they met…" Lisanna remarked.

"Charle says they haven't stopped hanging out with each other ever since they met." Lucy explained.

"They smelled like they'd been around each other a lot." Natsu added.

"I bet they look so cute together!" Mirajane half-squeaked.

"Young love is so manly!" Elfman declared.

"I'm not so sure I approve." Erza stated, "They're just so young, they may not even know what they're doing."

"No one knows what they're doing when they're dating for the first time." Mirajane argued, "Besides, it's not like many of us have much more experience than Wendy."

"I guess you're right." Erza conceded, "Maybe if I saw them together, my concerns might be unfounded."

"I know Gohan talked to Goten and Charle about it already." Lucy added, "But I didn't hear any of it."

"Yeah." Natsu remarked, "Gohan teleported us to the other side of Magnolia just to make sure we didn't hear them."

"I hope you weren't too offended I did that." Gohan said as he announced his and Makarov's presence since no one had heard them transmit behind them.

"Gohan!" Natsu shouted with a grin on his face as he hopped out his seat, "Fight me!"

"Maybe later, Natsu." Gohan said with a weak smile.

"Hi, Master!" the eldest Strauss greeted, "How's your day going?"

"Pretty good so far." Makarov answered as he hopped onto the bar.

"You and Gohan were listening to a good bit of the conversation." Mirajane said as she prepared a drink for her master, "What do you think about Goten and Wendy?"

"Well," Makarov said as he received a full mug from Mirajane, "It is a bit unusual for a relationship like theirs to develop so quickly; but from what I know about the whole situation, it appears that they at least put some thought into it. Despite whatever we think about the issue, the most important thing is how they feel about it. And if it makes them both happy, that makes me happy."

"So I guess that means they've got Master's blessing." Mirajane remarked, looking towards Erza more than anyone else.

"Hey, Mira!" Cana shouted from her table, "How about we starting pouring some drinks? It sounds like we've got our newest couple to celebrate!"

"You're just glad you've got a reason to drink, aren't you, Cana?" Lucy asked teasingly.

"I always have a reason to drink, Lucy." Cana half-joked in response, "But some of them are better than others."


	16. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Surprises

Later that Night…

Gajeel walked out the front doors of the Phantom Lord Headquarters, feeling eyes on him every step he took. Pantherlily floated just behind him while having the same sentiment. They crossed under the decrepit stone archway before Gajeel turned to Pantherlily.

"You sure you don't want to save your magic for later?" He asked the Exceed.

"I'm sure." Lily answered, "It'll save us some time, but I'll make sure to save some magic just in case we run into trouble."

"Fine with me." Gajeel replied with a grin, "As long as I don't have to cover your ass when shit hits the fan."

"It sounds like you're expecting trouble." Lily observed.

"Yeah, well," Gajeel remarked, pointing to his left shoulder, "Wearing a dark guild mark isn't the best way to avoid trouble."

"Maybe you should wear something with sleeves then." Lily quipped, "I've got a bag covering mine."

"Yeah, and you remind me of Salamander's cat with it on." Gajeel retorted, "Now let's go. We don't have time for a fashion debate. And don't worry, I'll cover my mark up before we get to Crocus."

Lily chuckled as he grabbed Gajeel, told him to hang on, and then rocketed into the air.

Not too far from where the duo took off, a lone hooded wizard climbed down from her vantage point. She slid down the inclined rock before returning to the cave she had discovered this morning. Putting out the fire in her base camp, she quickly gathered everything she brought with her before walking back out of the cavern. She looked around to get her bearings before casting a spell to make herself invisible. She had heard where Gajeel was planning to go, and she wondered what was going on. And did she also hear him say he replaced his guild mark? She had an idea of what to expect when she had begun to follow him, but she was still having trouble with believing some of what she had heard or seen.

But now wasn't the time to lose focus in frustration. Shaking her head to regain focus, she started on her own trek towards Crocus. It was going to be difficult to beat them there by foot, but she was determined and nothing was going to stop her. She had no clue how she would feel when she would finally confront him, but she was sure she had to. She hated the situation entirely because of the sense of doubt that lingered over every thought she had about him or what she should do. But after discovering that he had actually joined a dark guild and was working for it, she began to worry if he would harm or kill innocent people. The thought of him doing so hurt her, but not as bad as the next thought that came to mind:

If she had to, she would kill Gajeel Redfox.

At Fairy Tail…

Mirajane ducked as a mug went flying in her direction; but it was easily snatched out of the air by Gohan, who had seen it coming a mile away from his seat in front of the bar.

"That was a close one." Lucy remarked as Gohan put the mug onto the bar.

"Thanks, Gohan." She said as she poured another drink, adding it to the tray she was preparing to walk out with, "Maybe we should pay you to work here. I can't count the many times I've been hit by something or someone that's been thrown around in these fights."

"It does seem to be an occupational hazard here." Gohan replied with a light laugh as he spun slowly in his seat with Pan in his lap to face the bar again, "Though you should probably keep the habit of ducking since I'm not going to be by the bar all the time."

"Oh believe me, I will." Mirajane remarked as the two watched Natsu send three of their guildmates flying off in separate directions. She cringed mentally when she heard the crashing noise that came from at least one of them breaking something when they landed. Gohan saw her subtle reaction to the noise before coming up with an idea.

"At least they haven't used magic yet." Lucy commented as she watched the fight, "Or accidentally hit Erza."

"It might be better if they do that soon." Mirajane replied thoughtfully, "They're breaking a lot of stuff right now."

"Hey, Trunks," Gohan said as he spun his chair to look at the fight, "I think I just found a new training exercise for you."

"What's that?" Trunks asked from Gohan's left, looking away from the fight and towards the older demi-Saiyan.

"These flying objects and people make it hard for Mira and her coworkers to safely serve in the hall." Gohan explained. "Maybe you could help them with that."

"How?" Trunks questioned, though he was thinking something similar to what Gohan was going to say.

"If you see anyone or anything go flying through the air, bring it down." Gohan stated.

"That might be fun." Trunks said before standing up, "I think I'll give it a try."

"Hey, Trunks, one more thing." Gohan added with a weak smile, "Try to be gentle."

Trunks nodded with a grin before darting around the room fast enough for only Gohan to see as he tried to find a good vantage point. Gohan chuckled before spinning around to face the bar again.

"Again, Papa!" Pan suddenly requested. Gohan looked down at her.

"Do what again, Pan?" He asked for her to clarify.

"Spin us again!" She demanded. Gohan laughed to himself before lightly spinning three quarters of the way counter-clockwise.

"All the way, Papa!" Pan instructed, "And faster!"

"You'll be dizzy after. Are you sure you want me to?" Gohan questioned.

Pan nodded fervently.

"As her majesty commands." Gohan sighed before spinning the full 360 degrees.

"Faster, Papa!" Gohan complied.

Mirajane couldn't help but watch the two as they spun in Gohan's seat.

"Would you like a drink, Gohan?" Mirajane asked as the father and daughter spun, "The first one's free during parties."

"Eh, why not." Gohan said as he continued to spin around, "It is my brother's party after all."

"What would you like?" She questioned, avoiding the urge to giggle when she could see his expression from trying to think and entertain Pan at the same time.

"Well, beer doesn't really do much for me, since alcohol doesn't stay in my system for too long." Gohan said as he thought and spun, "So I guess, if it's free, give me the strongest thing you got in a really big mug."

"That's the spirit, Gohan!" Cana cheered from the opposite end of the bar before she took another swig from her barrel. Gohan laughed weakly before stopping his spinning after Mira put his drink down in front of him. He shook his head lightly in an attempt to get his bearings before trying to grab his mug.

"Dizzy?" Mirajane questioned. Gohan nodded, getting a giggle from Mira in response before she walked away to serve others their drinks.

"That was fun!" Pan declared as Mira returned to the bar.

"You should try to walk, Pan." Mirajane told Pan, who immediately climbed onto the bar. She got a few steps before falling down and deciding she'd rather sit.

"Told you." Gohan said with a laugh before helping Pan up and letting her sit in his lap again.

At that moment, the guild doors opened to reveal Charle, Goten, and Wendy. Most of the people were too preoccupied to notice the three's entrance, but the small group by the bar did. Gohan took a swig of his drink as Wendy, Charle, and Goten came towards the bar. When they got close, Gohan put his mug down and greeted them first.

"Hey, guys." Gohan said amicably as he gestured to the seats to his left, "Sit down and join the party."

"So that's why they're fighting so early?" Charle questioned.

"What's the party for?" Goten asked, not noticing Wendy had gone slightly red.

"It's our party, Goten." Wendy explained with evident embarrassment.

"And they were so excited to hear the news about you two," Lucy added, "They just had to start the party without you."

"Okay." Goten said cheerily before turning to Mira, "If it's a party, I guess I'll have some food then."

"But you just ate that entire fish with Wendy!" Charle remarked.

"Yeah, you're right." Goten replied as he sat down between Wendy and Gohan, "Maybe I'll just get dessert then."

"You should really try some of this is strawberry cake." Erza suggested with half of a cake in her hand, making Lucy jump in surprise at her sudden appearance.

"You got over here really quick." Lucy observed jokingly, though Erza ignored her

"Erza does love her cake." Mira remarked as she watched with mild amusement.

"You can't get it here right now," Erza explained, "But I bought a lot of it recently from the local bakery, and you are a new guild member. Plus, this is your party."

"Can people stop saying that?" Wendy pleaded quietly and more to herself.

"I'm a new guild member." Trunks stated as he phased in right next to everyone, "Does that mean I get cake?"

"He heard that?" Lucy questioned, once again ignored by everyone except Gohan, who chuckled before taking another sip of his drink.

"I suppose." Erza said to Trunks, somewhat reluctantly.

"Then Gohan should have some too, right?" Goten added thoughtfully.

"Yes…" Erza replied, glancing from Gohan to her cake.

"Didn't you come over here to offer the cake?" Lucy asked Erza, confused by the sudden reluctance.

"Erza really loves her cake." Mirajane said with a giggle.

"Just give 'em the freakin cake already." Cana complained from her side of the bar. Erza nodded before putting the cake on the bar.

"Thanks, Erza." Gohan said gratefully before Mirajane gave Goten a knife to cut it with.

"You're not gonna eat it with us?" Goten questioned when he noticed Erza seemed about to turn away. Erza remained quiet as she considered Goten's offer.

"I'd say yes if I were you." Trunks told Erza, "Goten usually eats all the food as soon as he gets it. To be honest, I'm worried something's wrong with him."

Gohan smirked in agreement before finishing his drink and setting the mug aside on the bar. Everyone by the bar watched Erza's obvious internal struggle between showing hospitality and her love for the cake.

"I think I'll eat a slice, since you asked." Erza finally decided before Lucy moved to let Trunks and Erza sit between her and Gohan, "But don't think a nice gesture or two will make me comfortable with your relationship to Wendy."

Wendy blushed again while Goten continued to smile despite Erza's remark. After a minute, the group by the bar began eating the cake and chatting. As they did so, Gohan slowly began to feel the effects of his drink.

"Your breath smells strange, Gohan." Goten said after Gohan had turned and said something to Wendy.

"That's alcohol, Goten." Trunks reminded Goten, "Didn't you remember at my sister's birthday party that almost all the grown-up's smelled like that?"

"Oh yeah." Goten replied as he recalled the event, "Was that when we accidentally destroyed the cake? Or was it when Mister Buu turned that weird guy's camera into chocolate?"

"What?" Lucy and Wendy both questioned.

"A friend of our family has magic that lets him turn anything into food." Gohan explained, "And that was both on Bulla's birthday."

"Yeah," Trunks added sheepishly, "Mom wasn't too happy about the cake."

"What did you drink just now, Gohan?" Wendy asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know." Gohan replied, "But it is pretty strong."

"Are you drunk, Gohan?" Lucy questioned.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is." Mirajane explained, "I gave him a drink that has magic in it to help its effect. He said he wanted the strongest thing we had, after all."

"I'm not drunk." Gohan answered honestly, "But I can feel it."

"I can tell," Mirajane added, "I don't think I've seen you wear that grin before."

Gohan ignored the teasing and greeted Lisanna with everyone else when she came over.

"I'm amazed you survived walking through that." Lucy said with a gesture towards the still ongoing fight.

"Me too, to be honest." Lisanna replied with a light laugh as she walked closer. Gohan remembered his and Trunks' discussion earlier; so he grinned when he, Wendy, and Goten shifted seats to let Lisanna sit between him and Trunks.

"Hey, Trunks." Lisanna greeted warmly as she sat next to him. Trunks shifted in his seat and tried to avoid letting everyone see his face.

"H-Hey, Lisanna." Trunks said bashfully, and he was glad no one teased him after he spoke.

"Did you do any training today? I know nearly everyone has." She asked him.

"A little, yeah." Trunks answered nervously, "But I took it easy today. What did you do today?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, except a little bit of training with big brother Elf before coming here." Lisanna replied.

"That's cool." Trunks said nervously.

"I like your outfit." She complimented as she looked at his green gi.

"It's the same one from when we met." Trunks reminded her.

"I know, I just didn't say that then." Lisanna said with a smile, "But to be honest, I think your jacket looks a lot cooler."

"Really?" Trunks said coolly, brightening up as his ego was stoked, "I thought it might, but I wasn't sure."

"It did." Lisanna assured him, "It made you look more mature. And the sword was a nice touch."

"Just make sure it isn't just for looks." Erza chimed in. Trunks was going to reply when they were interrupted.

"Hey! Goten!" the group suddenly heard from the center of the hall. They turned and looked to see at least eight guild members go sailing away to reveal Natsu staring straight at Goten.

"So you want to date Wendy, huh?" Natsu questioned, "Well, you've gotta prove you're strong enough to protect her!"

"Why didn't you do this earlier when you found out?" Lucy asked him with a sigh, "And I'm sure Wendy can protect herself, you know."

"Thank you, Lucy." Wendy said with pink skin, once again wishing she wasn't in the spotlight.

"I didn't earlier because I was worn out from training." Natsu explained as he tossed some fire between his hands, "But now I'm warmed up, and I've got a fire in my belly!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy chimed in as he swooped in next to Natsu, "I'm ready too! And don't think I'll go easy on you because of your awesome fish, Goten!"

Lucy put her face in her hands and groaned while Mirajane giggled with everyone else watching.

"You want to fight me?" Goten asked with interest.

"You bet!" Natsu said, slightly aggressively. Wendy was now really nervous, but she wasn't sure who to be more worried for.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Romeo chimed in as he pushed his way out the crowd, "I want to fight too."

"Romeo?" Lucy questioned with surprise, "Why do you want to fight?"

"Do you think dark wizards fight fairly? If he really wants to prove he can protect Wendy, he needs to be able to beat both of us." Romeo explained before adding, "And I always take the chance to fight on Natsu's side."

"But you can't fly." Lucy argued.

"I'll help him." Charle volunteered, thoroughly surprising everyone.

"Charle?" Wendy said in surprise.

"I'm of the same mind as Romeo and Natsu." Charle explained, "And though I don't normally like to get involved in fights, I'll make an exception for this case."

"I'm going to fight with Charle on my team?" Happy asked dreamily, though he was ignored by most of the people there.

Goten looked to Wendy and then away before momentarily thinking before answering.

"Okay." He said with an eager smile. Wendy was about to protest when Goten turned to her.

"Don't worry, Wendy." He promised, "I'm not going to hit Charle or Happy."

"Hey!" Trunks complained, "I want a fight if Goten gets one!"

"Maybe another time. Goten's gotta fight this one alone." Gohan told Trunks, "But I'll fight you if you want."

"Sorry Gohan, but I want to win the fight." Trunks remarked, slightly depressed he couldn't get anyone to fight him.

"You should take a page out of Goten's book, Trunks," Lucy suggested teasingly with smirk, "And go on a date with Lisanna while everyone's watching the fight."

Trunks went red and crossed his arms while Lisanna smiled and looked at him.

"Maybe some other time." Trunks mumbled, "I kinda want to watch Goten's fight."

"While we're talking about fights," Cana chimed in from across the bar, "I'm curious to see if Erza could beat Gohan."

Everyone by the bar stopped to think about it except for Gohan and Erza, who revealed nothing in their expression.

"That's a great idea, Cana!" Natsu declared, "Maybe you should take on Gohan after me and Goten fight!"

"I am curious about Gohan's true power." Erza stated, "And a good fight either way would make for decent training."

"Do you both want to wake up in the recovery room tomorrow morning?" Lucy asked them. Everyone in the guild hall had now fully stopped fighting when they heard that Erza was seriously considering fighting.

"I'll fight if you really want me to." Gohan stated.

"Okay!" Natsu said excitedly, "Let's go outside and get the real party started!"

The guild hall had emptied out a few minutes later, and once again everyone was heading to the spot where Natsu and Gajeel had fought Gohan.

"Natsu is slower than you are," Gohan had said to Goten as they walked, "But he is very strong for a human. It will hurt if he hits you with your guard down. The best thing to do to avoid hurting them is to let them tire themselves out and then finish the fight cleanly. Just remember to pay attention and think about what you're doing."

"Right." Goten replied as he felt Wendy squeeze his hand. He looked to her and smiled as he met her gaze.

"And don't worry about us." Goten assured her once again, "It's a friendly fight, no one's in any danger."

"I know." Wendy said, still gripping his hand, "But still…"

"You can do it, Uncle 'Ten!" Pan cheered to add to the conversation.

"Thanks, Pan." Goten told her, giving her a smile as well.

While Gohan, Wendy, and Pan talked to Goten, Goten's four opponents discussed their strategy.

"I'm not really used to flying and fighting." Romeo stated, "So it might be easier for me if we can keep him on the ground, and Charle can use her magic to get me out of a bad spot if she has to."

"That's a good idea." Natsu replied, "But we may need a different plan, other than both of us just attacking him."

"Why?" Romeo questioned, "I know how to fight."

"I know that." Natsu explained, "But if Goten is anything like his brother, his hits are going to hurt a lot. I can take the hits as long as I've got some magic, but that means I'll need more to keep up the fight."

"So you want me to avoid getting hit and feed you during the fight?" Romeo asked.

"Yeah." Natsu answered, "But if you and Charle see a good chance to hit him or to grab his attention, take it carefully. Wendy will be really angry at all of us if Charle gets hurt."

"Oh, please." Charle argued, "I've been in enough fights as it is, I can handle myself."

"Yeah!" Happy added, "Charle's probably stronger than Lily!"

"I wouldn't go that far." Charle replied, "But thank you for the kind words."

"Anything for you, Charle." Happy remarked dreamily as Romeo made a gagging motion that Natsu laughed at.

After a few more minutes, Goten and his opponents took center stage.

"Are you ready?" Goten asked the four eagerly as he stretched, "Cause I can't wait to get started."

"I'm ready." Natsu said as his three teammates nodded, "As long as you don't hold back like Gohan did."

"You told me I'm fighting for Wendy right?" Goten asked rhetorically as he got into a stance, "I'll never hold back if I'm fighting for her."

Natsu grinned while Wendy went red when she felt her guildmates' gazes shift to her. She could hear Mirajane, Lucy, and some others commenting on how cute she and Goten were. She decided to watch Goten and do her best to ignore everything else around her. As she looked at Goten, he met her stare and smiled before facing his opponents and powering up a bit. Without another word, the fight began.

Somewhere in Fiore…

"The fairies must be confident in their success against Phantom Lord." Edo-Acnologia observed as he stopped using his magic to turn and face his host.

"They're pathetic." Acnologia stated flatly, "None of them are capable of defeating me. Even this 'god' you speak of will be crushed by my power."

"Oh, really?" Edo questioned, "Because the last time I checked, you were just an old dragon slayer with a puffed up ego. You won't be able to destroy any true gods, though I do admit, it would be fun watching you try."

"Speak to me like that again and you won't be there to witness my success." Acnologia argued, releasing some of his magic as he stood up, momentarily illuminating the cave in blue light, "If any mortal crosses my path, I will destroy them like the pests they are."

"Says the dragon in a man's body." Edo quipped with a smirk while Acnologia walked to the mouth of the cave.

"This is not my true form." Acnologia replied as Edo followed, "My true form reflects my true power."

"Sometimes I do feel sorry for you." Edo said as he watched his counterpart's wild hair and tattered cape flowing in the breeze, "Your eternal identity crisis is a severe one. Don't you remember that this fierce and strong human body is, in fact, your true and original form?"

"I don't know if you're trying to mock me or flatter me." Acnologia said as he stared at the surrounding area.

"A bit of both." Edo answered with a smirk, "But the nature of honesty is that it can go either way."

"You speak wisely." Acnologia remarked, turning to face his blue haired companion, "But you play such a foolish game with the mortals. You are, in fact, aware it could end in your death?"

"Acno," Edo said teasingly, "You aren't showing concern for me are you?"

"No." Acnologia stated, "I'm simply questioning you're intelligence."

"Don't worry, it's all there." Edo declared with grin as he pointed to the side of his head, "But a life of eternal boredom and isolation is no fun at all. Don't you notice how our pal Zeref always seems to have a stick up his ass? I don't mind death if it means dying in an epic battle, one that even the heavens will remember for all eternity; win or lose, the reward is great. I mean, even you seek out the strongest wizards of the age and challenge them."

"I do." Acnologia conceded, "But I don't tamper with other worlds just for my amusement."

"Because you can't." Edo argued smugly, "Even I know you would have done the same if you could."

"Maybe." Acnologia admitted, "But something tells me my true enemy is from this world."

"Your 'dragon sense' tell you that or something?" Edo joked, making quotation marks with his hands as he did.

"Hmph." Acnologia remarked, "Despite my disdain for those now weak and pathetic fairies, their wizards have survived two encounters with me; this is something that has never happened ONCE before, save those dragons who fled my wrath. I'd be a fool to not see the potential for a great battle with at least one of those disgusting humans."

"So the high and mighty dragon does have some respect for the humans." Edo commented sarcastically, walking back into the dark of the cave. His attention was regained; however, when he felt the ground quake beneath him. He looked out the cave and saw Acnologia had decimated a nearby mountain effortlessly.

"I have as much respect for man as I had for that mountain." Acnologia explained as his glare darkened, "But I know this: one day there will be someone to challenge my power; and when they come, like everyone else before them, they will die in my talon's grasp."

Back in Magnolia…

Goten side stepped Natsu's roar before quickly tossing a ki blast at Natsu's head, forcing Romeo to protect Natsu with a swipe of his purple flames. As Romeo did so, he left himself open for Goten to appear in front of him and land a kick across his jaw. The younger fire mage was moved back a couple feet, but Charle's quick decision to move with Goten's kick saved Romeo from some of the impact.

"Thanks, Charle." He quickly said as Natsu landed next to him, "That would have really hurt."

"Your welcome." Charle replied, "But do try to avoid getting hit next time."

Goten stood across from them as he tried to plan his next attack. He grinned when he noticed Natsu didn't seem worn out in the least. Goten was having fun learning how Natsu and Romeo fought, but now fun part was over.

"Having fun?" Natsu asked him in response.

"You bet." Goten answered amiably, "I can tell I'm going to have to use a lot more strength if I'm going to beat you."

"I was thinking the same thing." Natsu replied with his own grin, "So let's see what you've got."

"Okay!" Goten said happily before charging his energy. The air around him pushed against his opponents as his blue aura changed to gold in a flash.

"This may be enough." Goten declared thoughtfully, his spiky golden hair shifted gently in the light breeze while blue sparks crackled around him.

"Here comes the cool part." Trunks mumbled to no one in particular.

Goten stood staring at Natsu, seeming to still be trying to come up with some attack plan. But to both of the wizards' surprise, Goten appeared directly in front of Romeo. Before Romeo, Charle, Natsu, or Happy could react; Goten's knee connected with Romeo's chest, sending him flying backwards. Before he could go far, Goten appeared next to Romeo to kick him in the side. The kick landed on Romeo's ribs before it threw Romeo and Charle towards Natsu. Natsu caught Romeo, his feet dragging through the ground as he slowed Romeo down.

Natsu quickly released Romeo to in an attempt to find Goten. Before he could spot the demi-Saiyan, Goten reappeared at his side to grab him by his arm and roll backwards and flip Natsu over with him. As soon as his hands found the ground beneath him, Goten shoved upwards to slam both of his feet into Natsu's back, redirecting the momentum from his throw. Natsu was sent flying into the air while Happy fought to slow down Natsu and himself.

Goten reappeared above them, connecting a diving kick into Natsu's left thigh. Natsu was forced into an upright position in the air before Goten delivered a series of punches and kicks that Natsu was unable to defend against. Goten's string of attacks came to a close with Goten's using both hands to swat Natsu downward. Then Goten, instead of following Natsu's fall, brought his hands together at his right side, preparing the Son signature attack while Natsu began to recover.

"Goten's really not holding back!" Trunks observed as he, along with a large number of the other spectators, realized that the Kamehameha would probably demolish the ground right in front of them.

Natsu was able to land on his feet before glancing up to see the familiar blue light emanating from his opponent's hands.

"Move!" He yelled to his three teammates as Goten yelled "HA!" and released the blast. Romeo, aided by Charle and Happy, successfully dived away as the blast neared; he didn't notice that Natsu had decided to remain in the blast's path.

"Lightning Flame Dragon's Fist!" Natsu screamed, punching as hard as he could against Goten's attack with his hand engulfed in a massive orb of bright orange flame and yellow lightning. Some of the audience ducked for cover while others shielded their eyes just as the explosion occurred, with only Gohan, Trunks, and Pan maintaining their gaze.

As the smoke cleared, Goten watched for movement inside it with an expectation to have to defend himself; though nothing came. Instead, the smoke cleared to reveal a slightly roughed up Natsu standing in a small crater while eating orange fire that Romeo was currently feeding him.

"Mmm…" Natsu said as he took bite after bite of the flames, "Your fire is still some of the best I've ever tasted, Romeo."

"Thanks." Romeo replied weakly, shifting one of his hands to his side while Natsu gulped down the last of the flames.

"That was an amazing attack." Natsu complimented as Goten landed in front of the four, wiping his mouth, "I had to use a lot of my magic just to stay standing."

"Thanks!" Goten said with a smile, "I put a lot of energy into it too."

"With an attack like that," Happy remarked to his team, "He's gotta be getting tired."

"Nah." Goten said with a grin as he flared his ki in a display of power, "This is too fun to get tired."

"Don't worry," Romeo stated confidently, "Natsu and I will wear you down, because we're all fired up now!"

Goten saw as scales began to form around Natsu's eyes.

"This is the second time Natsu's used dragon force this week." Erza noted, "It seems his second origin has made it considerably easier for him to activate it."

"Goten might be in some trouble." Lisanna added, "I can feel a crazy amount of magic coming from Natsu."

Wendy nervously nodded her head in agreement as fire engulfed Natsu before he rushed Goten.

"Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Natsu called out, swiping at Goten's head with his left hand. Goten stopped Natsu's attack with his right forearm, but felt as the fire burned hot enough to burn his skin.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!" Natsu screamed, throwing a kick that Goten dodged by jumping back.

"Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer!"

Natsu's right hand and forearm became wrapped in electricity and fire as he threw the punch directly for Goten's face. Goten used both of his arms to block it, and was unable to defend himself against Romeo's wall of purple fire that came at him from behind. Romeo's attack was only strong enough to withstand a few seconds before Goten and Natsu broke through it, though it had the effect Natsu and Romeo desired. The sudden shift in momentum and the sensation of the skin on his arms burning threw Goten off long enough for Natsu to grab Goten by the front of his gi.

"And Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

Goten was thrown into the spectators, who quickly dove out of Goten's way to avoid experiencing a serious amount of pain. Moving quickly, Goten turned in the air and shot into the sky to avoid crashing into anything or anyone. His scorched gi top fell away from him in pieces as he climbed into the air. Looking down, he saw Natsu eating more of Romeo's fire.

Deciding his best move would be to cut off Natsu's supply of magic, Goten targeted Romeo before rapidly firing ki blasts at the fire mage. Romeo darted, dove, and rolled around as he dodged energy waves one after the other before Goten rushed him. Natsu was expecting Goten's attack, firing a roar just as Goten appeared. Romeo somersaulted backwards to get out of the way, narrowly being hit by both Goten and the flames while Goten was taken for a ride. Using his ki, Goten had shielded himself while letting it carry him upwards until it stopped; but as soon as the flames of Natsu's attack dissipated, Romeo leapt upward to attack. He created a net of purple fire and threw it over Goten, ensnaring the demi-Saiyan as he hovered over him with Charle's assistance. Goten was about to flare his ki to break out when Natsu called out to Romeo.

"Here!" He yelled, throwing a large fireball to Romeo, who caught it and used it to reinforce the net's strength before Natsu and Happy joined them in the sky. The net's grip tightened as its heat sky rocketed, causing Goten to use his ki to avoid contact with the flames.

"Uh oh." Goten said as he tried to find a way out.

At Phantom H.Q...

Gray was laying awkwardly next to Juvia on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he contemplated what task Jose Porla would soon assign him, thinking it would probably be for him to spy on Fariy Tail. He couldn't think of any other possible assignment, yet he still wondered. And when he thought about Edo or Zancrow, there was a red flag that popped up in his mind, screaming to him that something worse than a vendetta was going on. He was trying to think of possibilities when Juvia tried unsuccessfully to pull him out his reverie.

"Gray-sama?" She said quietly, "Is everything alright?"

"For now, I guess." Gray answered honestly, not totally out of his thoughts yet, "But it seems like there's more to it than this."

"O-Of course there is." Juvia replied nervously, her hand slowly reaching for his, "Juvia feels like there should be more to this as well."

"I mean, I feel like there was something in front of me the entire time that I should have seen." Gray questioned himself, "Maybe if I had paid a bit more attention I'd know. But now, I've got this nervous feeling about where we are, and I don't want to screw up anything we've got going for us so far."

"You won't, Gray-sama." Juvia said sweetly, placing her hand in his reassuringly.

Neither of the two had yet realized that they were talking about two very different subjects.

"So what should we do?" Gray asked.

"Well," Juvia answered slowly, trying to ignore the burning in her face, "Juvia had been wondering that as well. I've been worried I might do something that would offend you."

"At this point, I'll take any suggestion." Gray stated as Juvia inched closer, "I'm just tired of this confused feeling I have."

"I think I can help with that." Juvia said, getting Gray to turn his head to her as she moved in closer. She was a few inches from his face when he spoke.

"What are you doing, Juvia?" He asked, puzzled. She blinked in confusion as well.

"Wait, were you just about to kiss me?" Gray questioned with realization striking him.

"Well, Gray-sama did say we should do more." Juvia explained, embarrassed, "I thought that was the best place to start."

"I was talking about what's going on outside our room, Juvia." Gray clarified, "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Well, you said you were nervous because you didn't want to ruin what we have." Juvia explained.

"You thought I was talking about our-" Gray said before deciding to skip his first question since he already knew the answer, "Wait, you said 'to start'. How far did you think we were gonna go?"

"I'm not sure," Juvia replied, "Juvia was wondering what Gray-sama would think of her if she just threw herself at him. Having his respect is one of the most important things to Juvia, and she doesn't want to lose it."

"I respect you in a lot of ways, Juvia." Gray assured her, "Otherwise I wouldn't call you a friend."

"So, Gray-sama isn't mad at me?" Juvia questioned timidly.

"No, since the confusion's partly my fault." Gray answered, "Next time I'll try to be more clear on what I'm talking about."

Juvia nodded in acknowledgment. Gray was about to say something to Juvia, but he was stopped by the room's sudden shaking.

"What the?" Gray said, confused.

"An earthquake?" Juvia questioned. The rumbling continued for a strangely long amount of time before abruptly ending.

"I guess it's stopped." Gray stated rather obviously.

"This area never has earthquakes." Juvia stated, "Something else caused that."

"Well, I guess we should probably get up and find out what's going on." Gray remarked with Juvia agreeing.

Magnolia…

The crowd watched as the net of purple and orange fire continued burning in the sky. Some were beginning to wonder what was going on.

"Is it over?" A few in the crowd started to wonder. Trunks shook his head.

"Nah." He stated flatly, "Goten's just taking his time. The only thing keeping that net in the air is him."

While everyone else stared at Goten's containment, Natsu was thinking about his next move; and how he probably should attack while Goten was held firmly in one spot. Though that attack might lead to a win, Natsu didn't find it the fun way or the nice way to win; since hitting someone while he's incapacitated just seemed unsportsmanlike.

"He may be okay now," Gohan said quietly to the nearby spectators, "But that fire is slowly going to get hotter the more Goten's energy wears out. If he waits too long, it'll hurt him."

Natsu had a similar thought to Gohan's, deciding to use the net as his attack.

"Romeo," Natsu told his teammate, "Tighten the net if you can. We're going to end this right here."

Romeo nodded and focused all his strength into his magic. He was genuinely amazed at how little he could constrict Goten, since the fire only barely moved.

"That's all I can do!" Romeo informed Natsu, who nodded before taking off into the air with Happy. Stopping just underneath the net, Natsu began adding more fire to it. The orb of fire shrunk slightly in response.

"Goten!" Wendy called out, worried for him. She could only imagine how hot Natsu's fire would be in the middle of the orb. She was beginning to feel tempted to ask Natsu to end the fight when the orb suddenly began expanding. The majority of the audience's eyes widened as the orb continued to expand, despite the net's resistance.

"He's too strong for me, Natsu!" Romeo warned, trying as best he could to keep the net together.

"Goten's doing this on purpose." Trunks stated with a smirk. Lisanna, Lucy, and Wendy glanced at him.

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned, "Why would he want to be in there?"

"Because Natsu and Romeo are both using their magic to hold him there." Gohan explained to the three, "The only problem is that Goten can't feel magic energy, so he's got to try and take every chance he can to wear down Natsu and Romeo's attacks."

"So he's just waiting for the right time to attack?" Lisanna questioned. Gohan and Trunks nodded.

"I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier," Trunks added, "But Goten's got a lot of energy he's still hiding."

"It's been a while since either of you have fought around each other without fusing." Gohan remarked, "But it does feel like Goten's been hiding some of his power from us."

"Why would he do that?" Trunks questioned.

"Maybe he didn't want to offend you," Gohan suggested, "Or maybe he was hoping to use it against us in a sparring match. Plus, you two are the only ones back home that rival each other, that could be a factor as well."

"To be honest," Lucy commented, "I'm wondering where Natsu got some of his strength from recently, because it definitely feels like he's got way more magic than he did a week ago. And he's only had a couple of days' training."

"It's also weird," Lisanna added, "But even Romeo seems to have a lot more magic than usual, but I don't know how often Romeo's been training since the Grand Magic Games."

Getting a strange feeling about their discussion, Lucy decided to turn to Erza.

"Hey, Erza?" Lucy started, getting the S-class mage's attention from the fight, "But did you happen to notice Natsu's sudden power up? Or Romeo's?"

"I did, actually." Erza answered, "Even I woke up with more magic on the same day Natsu did."

"Why didn't you tell anyone this?" Lucy questioned.

"I thought everyone had noticed." Erza explained.

"Now that I'm thinking about it," Lisanna added, "I think I have more magic too."

"I think I do too." Lucy agreed after pausing to focus on her magic, "When did this happen?"

"I noticed it on the same day Gohan fought Natsu." Erza stated.

"You don't think Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Pan have anything to do with it?" Lucy questioned before turning to Gohan, "Your abilities don't strengthen magic in any way do they?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Gohan answered honestly, "But there definitely sounds like something's happened."

"Maybe Natsu's been able to use Dragon Force because of this power-up." Lisanna suggested with everyone in the conversation agreeing that reason was a possibility.

"You can't think of anything that might cause this?" Lucy asked Gohan.

"There are a few ways." Gohan told her, "But they all sound pretty insane or weird when I think about them."

"What's the weird one?" Lisanna wondered.

"Someone could have given you guys a power up without your noticing." Gohan answered, "Though I'm not entirely sure how or why they would do that."

"It does seem strange." Erza remarked before the fight recaptured everyone's attention. Everyone around could hear Goten yelling as the orb and net expanded slightly faster. Almost the entire audience's eyes widened as the orb reached about half the size of a hot air balloon. The expanding suddenly stopped when Goten's yelling intensified, and now it was Gohan and Trunks' turn to be surprised as the ground beneath them began to quake.

"No way!" Trunks cried in disbelief, "How?!"

"This power…" Gohan said.

The orb suddenly began to contract as the wind shifted directions, now blowing towards the center of the fire; even Wendy was caught off-guard by this change in the wind.

"I remember Goten mentioned something about this!" Wendy declared, turning to Trunks and Gohan, "He said it would surprise you, but I wasn't really sure what it was exactly."

Wendy glanced around at the other members of Fairy Tail to hint to Gohan that she knew more than she was letting on.

"Did he explain how at least?" Gohan questioned.

"Not really." Wendy answered honestly, "He did say it had something to do with fusion, though."

"How could fusion help him here?" Trunks wondered aloud, "Or help him do that?!"

"I guess you'll have to ask him later." Gohan remarked before turning back to see the flame orb had nearly completely collapsed. Then, at an instant, Goten's yelling grew louder for a short burst before ceasing when the fire and net exploded in brilliant orange, purple, and yellow lights as it propelled Natsu and Happy back to earth.

"What the?!" Natsu questioned when he landed and saw Goten. Even Trunks and Gohan were amazed when they saw a shirtless and no-eyebrow Goten with knee-length golden hair floating above them.

"I'm really sorry about this, guys. It's been fun," Goten teased with the Son grin on his face, "But I'm ending this fight right now."

"If you think you're strong enough to beat me," Natsu challenged, "I'm right here!"

Goten grinned before dashing in a descending spiral around his four opponents, leaving as many afterimages as possible. To everyone watching, except for Gohan, Trunks, and a few keen eyed wizards, there was now a tower of Gotens surrounding Natsu and his team. As soon as he realized he wasn't going to find the real Goten fast enough, Natsu decided he had one attack option left.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art…" Natsu said before Happy instantly grabbed Charle and Romeo and shot into the sky.

"Crimson Lotus:" Natsu called out as fire surrounded his hands before he yelled.

"Exploding Flame Blade!"

Natsu spun around, creating a pillar of fire as tall as the "tower", hoping that at least one of his targets was the real Goten. He suddenly realized what was going on when his fire disappeared to reveal the Gotens were still there.

"Guys, look out!" Natsu yelled, instantly knowing what was about to happen next, "This was his after image trick!"

"What does that mean?!" Romeo questioned, but the only answer he received was Goten's appearance directly in front of him. Romeo blinked, having no time to respond when Goten drove a right handed punch directly into his face which sent him and the two Exceeds backwards a few feet.

The younger fire mage immediately went limp upon impact, which Charle and Happy realized as soon as they had stopped moving backwards. They were about to tell Natsu as much when they glanced down to see Goten directly behind Natsu, twirling his arm.

"Behind you, Natsu!" Happy cried out. Natsu heard him, but was only able to turn around in time to receive Goten's uppercut to his jaw. Everyone watched in awe as the Fire Dragon Slayer went sailing into the air before being caught by Happy, who discovered that Natsu was now also unconscious. In response to everything they had just seen, Lucy looked up and said the same thing everyone else was thinking:

"It's over!"

Most of the guild ran over to Natsu and Romeo's sides as Charle and Happy gently set them down; so only a few noticed when Goten walked away a few feet before his golden hair vanished and he collapsed, laying in the grass.

"Goten!" Wendy yelled when she saw him fall, dashing over to him while forgetting about Natsu and Romeo.

"Are you okay, Goten?" She asked worriedly, kneeling down next to him and grabbing his hand.

"Hey, Wendy." Goten said weakly with a grin to match his tone.

"He'll be fine." Gohan assured the Sky Maiden as he, Pan, and Trunks walked up, "That transformation just took too much of his energy."

Wendy quickly healed Goten in order to restore his energy. He sat up as soon as he felt strong enough, only to nearly fall back when Wendy hugged him.

"I told you I'd be okay." Goten said with a light laugh as he returned the hug.

"If you kept that form for too long you might not have been." Gohan remarked.

"I know." Goten agreed as Wendy released him, "It looks like I can only use it for a minute or two right now."

"How did you even manage to do that at all?" Trunks questioned, more demanding than asking, "And what does fusion have to do with it?"

"Well," Goten slowly began to explain, "I knew that we could do it easily as Gotenks, so I wondered if Gotenks' Super Forms worked like our dads' and Gohan's God forms."

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked for clarification.

"Are you saying that you're body remembered the form and made it easier for you to reach it?" Gohan questioned.

"But it's not your body or mine." Trunks argued, "It's Gotenks'."

"Which is both of your bodies put together." Gohan reminded Trunks, "You're both entirely in there. You remember what happens during fights, don't you? So you should in theory remember more than the events that take place."

"That's right." Goten stated, "But 3's really hard to learn. I had to sit down and try to remember it for a long time."

"You meditated on it?" Gohan asked. Goten nodded.

"Yep." Goten added with a smirk, "To be honest, I wasn't even sure it would work. This is the first time I used it."

"Clearly." Trunks remarked.

"Hey, uh, Wendy?" Goten questioned to change the subject, "Shouldn't we see if Natsu and Romeo are okay? I hit them a bit harder than I wanted to."

"Oh!" Wendy said in realization before getting up and running over to the two.

"Looks like you've got some catching up to do." Gohan remarked to Trunks with a smirk.

"Tell me about it." Trunks replied before heading towards Goten. Gohan watched from the edge of the crowd as Natsu and Romeo were healed.

"Thanks, Wendy." Natsu and Romeo said to her as they woke up.

"No problem, Natsu." Wendy replied before turning to Romeo, "Your injury was actually worse than it looked, Romeo; you're lucky I was able to heal it."

"Really?" Romeo questioned.

"Yes." Wendy answered with a nod, "I appreciate your concern for me, but you should be more careful with who you choose to fight."

"I know," Romeo stated, "But I-"

"But you what, Romeo?" Wendy asked a second after Romeo didn't finish his sentence.

"It's nothing." Romeo lied before standing up and brushing himself off, "I'll see you guys later."

"That was an amazing hit, Goten." Natsu complimented as he slowly stood up, "I knew you were fast, but that was crazy. You're definitely faster than Jet."

"Thanks." Goten replied with his usual grin, "That spinning attack you do is pretty awesome too."

Gohan continued to watch the group interact as most of the guild talked among themselves.

"And what about your comfort with Goten and me?" Wendy questioned Natsu.

"Oh, I was fine with it when I heard about it." Natsu explained with a grin, "I trust Goten, but he was so strong that I just really wanted to fight him."

"That's Natsu for you." Happy remarked as Lucy shook her head with a hand on her face.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Natsu said suddenly as a thought crossed his mind, "Gohan and Erza still need to fight!"

"I almost forgot about that." Gohan stated honestly before letting Pan walk to Goten.

A few noises of recollection and agreement came from the other guild members before Erza and Gohan looked to each other. Erza said nothing as the crowd moved away from her and Gohan. After a minute or so, the crowd formed a new circle around the two, awaiting the start of the fight.

"I guess they really want it." Gohan observed with amusement.

"It would appear so." Erza agreed.

"I'm going to say it beforehand, I know you're stronger than Natsu or Gajeel; so I'm going to pull my punches less." Gohan stated as he began to gather his energy, "If you fight me, you may get hurt."

"I appreciate your concern." Erza replied as her armor started to glow before it changed to her Black Wing Armor, "But I don't intend to lose this fight."

"Neither do I." Gohan said, powering up slowly as he took a stance. After another second, Gohan was finished powering up, nearly reaching his limit without going to God Form.

"Your power is impressive." Erza noted as the wind from Gohan's energy blew her hair around, "But is it strong enough to stop a sword?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, I don't need a sword." Gohan replied with a friendly smirk, "Swords have bad luck around me anyway."

"As you wish." Erza said before the sword to match her armor appeared in her hands, and she made an attacking stance.

"Whenever you're ready, Erza." Gohan told her, not bothering to take a stance. If Erza was offended by Gohan's confidence, she didn't show it. Instead, she took one more moment to size up her opponent before charging at him.

The crowd watched in stunned amazement as Gohan blocked Erza's series of attacks with one hand.

"He's just catching Erza's sword like it's nothing!" someone from the crowd was heard shouting.

"Isn't that thing really sharp?" someone else questioned, "How is he doing that?"

"You are pretty strong." Gohan complimented as he caught Erza's blade before adding, "But you need to be faster than this."

In response, Erza vaulted back from Gohan before speeding up her attacks. Relying on her armor's flight ability, she bounced between trees after every attack she launched at Gohan in an attempt to find any opening in Gohan's defense. The audience around them could now barely see Erza as she dashed to, from, and around Gohan; the only other difference with this flurry of attacks was that Gohan was now using two hands to block.

"Moon Flash!" Erza called out, charging straight for Gohan at the end of her assault and slashing for his head. A small explosion occurred where her sword landed, blinding the spectators momentarily. When they could see the fighters again, they saw that Gohan was holding Erza's weapon next to his head and that he hadn't moved an inch.

"That's pretty good." Gohan complimented as he held Erza's blade, "But it's still not enough."

In response, Erza's sword disappeared in order for two axes to take its place. No one said a thing as the crowd watch Erza start up a new barrage of attacks. But for every attack Erza made, Gohan was fast enough to successfully defend himself. Deciding to fight Gohan at close quarters now, Erza rushed Gohan's front before unleashing a blinding array of attacks. Some in the audience couldn't believe how fast paced the two duelists were in their movements, while some were just having trouble seeing them at all. The few who could see what was going on held their breath when Erza's left ax swung for Gohan's neck, hitting the back of his blocking right forearm instead. Gohan immediately used his right hand to grab the handle of her ax while it was close before Erza swung her only free ax at the top of Gohan's head. But to Erza's dismay, Gohan's left hand shot up and caught the ax directly at its handle.

With both hands on her weapons, Gohan kneed Erza in the stomach before flaring his energy to shove her away, causing her to release her weapons.

"Two weapons definitely made it interesting." Gohan said as the axes disappeared from his hands, "But you've still gotta do more if you want to beat me."

Erza didn't reply as she thought out her possible strategies. She knew that she needed to be faster if she ever wanted to hit Gohan, but she also knew that risked weakening her defense. And considering how easily Gohan defeated Natsu and Gajeel; Erza knew she was going to need as much armor as possible, especially if he decided to use his God Form.

Deciding to risk the injury, Erza changed into her Flight Armor while two matching swords appeared in her hands. Gohan smirked as Erza prepared for her next attack, catching her by surprise when he appeared in front of her. Fortunately for Erza, she was just able to get both swords in front of the punch Gohan aimed at her chest. Shoved backwards by the impact, Erza skidded over the grass before her back was against a tree. She glanced towards Gohan before launching at him once again.

Now no one but the fastest of fighters in the audience could see the battle that was taking place on the ground. To everyone else, the battle was nothing but loud noises and flashes of light. The rushed attacking and blocking of the two continued for a few seconds more before Erza had an idea.

Stabbing at Gohan with her left sword, she waited for Gohan to grab the blade before swinging her right handed sword at the side of his head. This time expecting Gohan to catch it, she released the blade just as Gohan's hand reached for it and made a fist before taking advantage of the gap in Gohan's defense. Her fist landed on Gohan's cheek, turning his head to his right in reflex. As Gohan was recovering from the first hit, Erza yanked her left handed sword from his grip while sending a kick to his stomach.

Everyone was shocked to see the two separate, with Gohan's appearing to have been hit and Erza's having only one sword.

"What just happened?" some in the crowd questioned.

"Erza's fast enough to hit Gohan?!" Lucy asked in shock. Trunks and Goten were also surprised when they saw what had happened.

"Whoa." Goten commented as the two fighters stood and stared each other down.

"It's pretty amazing that you can keep up with me." Gohan told his opponent with a grin, "I can see why you're one of the best around here."

"Thank you." Erza replied as she eased into a stance, "And I don't think I've ever fought someone as strong or fast as you."

"Thanks." Gohan said amiably before glancing around and speaking, "I can tell this fight could go on for a while if we wanted it to. But sadly, it has to end eventually."

Everyone watched as the air around Gohan began to highlight the power Gohan was displaying.

Erza realized Gohan was preparing to end the fight as a blue light surrounded him. Thinking she had to prevent Gohan's next move, she dashed around him desperately while grabbing her other sword along the way. She faced Gohan, holding both swords upside down before launching towards the blue orb that was now covering Gohan.

"Here we go again…" Trunks whined before going super in order to create a stronger ki barrier to defend his fellow spectators.

"Sonic Claw!" Erza yelled before the audience watched Erza disappear. All they saw was the gleam of the multiple slashes and all they heard was the clanking of the swords against Gohan's energy. Erza's attack ended when Gohan's energy exploded, sending Erza flying away. This time, there was no secondary explosion as Trunks' barrier held. It was at this point that a bright flash of yellow went unnoticed by everyone around the fighters, who were also oblivious to it.

"Hey, that worked! I held it together this time!" Trunks observed proudly until he heard Goten chuckle, "What?"

"I was helping." Goten explained with a weak laugh as Trunks' pride deflated slightly.

"Whatever." Trunks said dismissively, "I'm just surprised you haven't run off with your girlfriend yet."

Wendy went slightly red while Lucy and Lisanna giggled at Trunks' joke.

"Yeah, well," Goten argued, "At least I'm able to stay conscious long enough to ask a girl out."

"That joke is really getting old." Trunks stated as he butted heads with a now Super Goten.

The two bickered for a moment until Lisanna, Lucy, and Wendy put a stop to it.

Turning back to the fight, the five saw the Super Saiyan God Gohan staring down his opponent, his red aura burning with the same intensity as his eyes.

"I'm going to give you the same chance as Natsu and Gajeel, and I really hope you take it." Gohan stated as dirt and grass was removed from underneath him, "This is the last chance you'll get to surrender."

"Thank you for the offer," Erza replied before readying herself, "But, like Natsu or Gajeel, I will not give in. I will defeat you, God Form or not."

"Then you better be ready." Gohan declared, "Because this will be the hardest fight of your life."

"Are you ready?" the God questioned the Knight.

"Whenever you are." She responded as they both took an attacking stance. They were about to charge each other when Gohan noticed Erza had suddenly lost focus and was staring past him.

"I'm sorry," the blue cloaked mage said as he walked through the shocked crowd towards the two fighters from behind Gohan, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Jellal?" Erza said in shock, suddenly feeling aware of how much skin her armor was showing.

"Who's Jellal?" Gohan questioned, stepping out of his stance and powering down slightly.

"I am." Jellal answered with surprise, "Former Wizard Saint, council member, murderer, dark wizard, escaped convict, and leader of Crime Sorciere? You've never heard of me?"

"Sorry, I'm not from around here." Gohan said aggressively as his energy picked up, "But I can easily remember people when they talk so proudly about their past 'accomplishments'. Did I hear murderer and dark wizard in that list?"

"It's not like that! You don't understand!" Lucy defended as she and a few others noticed Gohan's sudden shift in mood and ran to get between him and Jellal.

"What do you mean?" Gohan questioned.

"Jellal wasn't in control of himself when he did those horrible things." Lucy explained as Natsu, Wendy, Lisanna, and Happy stood between the men while Erza slowly approached, now in her usual Heart Kreuz attire.

"Indeed." Jellal added apologetically, "I was too weak and fell under the influence of another wizard's power. I may have been manipulated, but it was my weakness that allowed it; and I don't think I will ever fully atone for the evil I have done. I was just surprised that you weren't aware of me, given that I'm the most wanted man in Fiore."

"I see. Well then," Gohan said thoughtfully before smiling and extending a hand, "I'm Son Gohan, and it's nice to meet you."

"THE Gohan of Fairy Tail?" Jellal questioned, slightly puzzling the demi-Saiyan as he shook his hand.

"I guess so." Gohan replied, scratching his head as soon as Jellal released his hand, "I haven't ran into any other Gohan's yet. You've heard of me?"

"Only rumors." Jellal answered as he looked Gohan over, "I had heard that Fairy Tail showed off their newest member at the guild masters' conference. Some even say you're a god."

"That was me." Gohan said proudly before adding, "But I thought the guild masters planned on keeping me a secret."

"They did." Jellal explained, "But my friend Merudy and I are good at finding secrets, and the masters' meetings are a good place to find news of the dark guilds we hunt."

"That's right." Merudy added as she walked through the crowd to stand behind Jellal, "With my sensory link and his telepathy, no one can keep a secret from us."

"So you're a telepath too?" Gohan questioned, "Well, good luck getting in my head. I don't care if you're one of the strongest in Fiore, no one's beating me at a battle of the minds."

"Gohan sounds really cocky right now." Goten noted aside to Trunks, who nodded.

"Do you think Super Saiyan Gods can be affected by alcohol?" Trunks wondered aloud.

"Hm." Jellal said in reply to Gohan's confidence, "I'm sure you would make a formidable opponent in any facet of battle."

"Thank you." Gohan replied, rather smugly.

"And this is your God Form, I assume?" Jellal asked.

"This is it." Gohan stated proudly with both hands on his hips and a grin on his face.

"I see." Jellal said as he examined Gohan, "It is evident that you have great power. But I'm curious as to how much power you have. This is the first time I've ever met a god, after all."

"Just be happy we're meeting under these circumstances." Gohan remarked with a laugh, "When I first met a god, he nearly killed me. And it certainly hurt a lot when he hit me."

"And what god was that?" Jellal asked.

"A god of destruction." Gohan answered vaguely, "You'd have to break into my brain if you want to know more though."

"Interesting." Jellal said with a smirk, "I might just do that."

"Go ahead and tr-" Gohan tried to respond with before Erza spoke.

"What are you doing here, Jellal?" Erza questioned, interrupting Gohan and Jellal.

"I came to speak with Master Makarov." The former Wizard Saint explained, "But I didn't realize I'd run into the entire guild on my way."

"How long have you been here watching?" Erza demanded.

"Long enough for him to fall in love with that cheetah print armor you've got." Merudy teased, making Jellal and Erza go red.

"Only a moment ago." Jellal answered, trying to shrug off his embarrassment, "We only saw the explosion Gohan had caused. You were fighting him when we arrived, weren't you?"

"I was." Erza said slightly defensively, "What of it?"

"I know you're one of the strongest wizards in Fiore," Jellal said tentatively, "And please don't take this the wrong way, but you can't defeat him alone."

"That's a possibility." Erza replied neutrally, "But it would be unfair for you and I to team up against Gohan."

"No, it wouldn't." Gohan said flatly. Erza still hesitated to allow Jellal to fight with her.

"He's offering you a chance for victory here." Jellal explained as he gestured to Gohan, "This isn't just false bravado he's showing, he's being honest."

"I wouldn't say I'm giving her a chance to win, since I doubt it would exist even if you were fighting." Gohan replied, now being cocky, "But it would make things more interesting."

"So you doubt my power too?" Jellal questioned, his gaze matching Gohan's.

"I've seen some pretty amazing skills while I've been here." Gohan explained with a smirk, "But the closest thing that's come to hurting me without my allowing it was her punch."

"I see." Jellal said before tossing his cloak and coat aside, "I guess Erza and I will just have to change that."

Murmurs of interest and fear went through the crowd as Jellal stood next to Erza. The thought and sight of Erza and Gohan fighting was frightening enough, but to add Jellal to the mix seemed insane.

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Jellal." Merudy said as Jellal took a stance next to Erza, "If there's anyone nearby that recognizes your magic, we could be getting more than just us in trouble."

"Anytime I use my magic I risk someone noticing." Jellal argued, "But I think in this case, the reward is worth the risk."

"And what is the reward for this exactly?" Merudy questioned while wondering where this confident air around Jellal came from.

"I think I can guess that." Gohan joked, with Erza nodding in agreement with him.

"It's not often that you come across a god, Merudy." Jellal explained with a slight smirk, "And it's even less often you're able to tell people you took down a god."

Gohan chuckled sarcastically at the implied assumption that he'd lose, though deciding not to say anything.

"Who are you going to be talking about this with if you win?" Merudy asked, "We're not supposed to be hear remember?"

"He doesn't mean he's actually going to talk to anyone about it." Gohan elaborated, "But how many people do you know that have even fought a god, let alone win?"

"If you don't like my reason," Jellal finished his argument, "Here's another:

"If Erza and I alone can bring down a god; then Zeref, one man, won't stand a chance against me."


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Real Training

A slightly irritated Trunks floated far above the tops of the trees as he surveyed the surrounding area. Glancing to the north of Magnolia and across the lake, he found a large mountainous rock formation along the lakeshore. Thinking behind that mountain might be an ideal location, he hurriedly flew over to it. Sure enough, the land behind the mountain was flat and solid rock, exactly what Trunks was looking for. Landing in the middle of the scouted area, Trunks flared his energy to signal Gohan his location. After another second or two, almost the entire Fairy Tail guild was standing in front of him.

"Seriously," Lucy said to Gohan as she took in her surroundings, "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"My Dad taught me it about a year ago." Gohan informed her as he also looked around, "He thought it might come in handy to let someone else know the skill."

"Well, he wasn't wrong." Lucy remarked with Gohan nodding in agreement.

"This spot looks good, Trunks." Gohan stated, turning to the lavender haired Demi-Saiyan, "Thanks for finding it for us."

"Yeah, yeah." Trunks replied, "Next time, Goten has to do the searching. He doesn't need an excuse to hold hands with Wendy anyway."

Goten laughed lightly with a grin while Wendy went pink. She would have also tried to hide her face, but Goten had grabbed her hand proudly and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around hers. Gohan mostly ignored the remark, only giving Trunks a smirk in response, as he let Pan run over to Lucy.

"That is an impressive ability." Jellal complimented, trying to step to the side when he noticed Erza was still holding his hand, "Um, Erza?"

"Sorry," Erza quickly apologized as she released him, "I don't know why I was doing that."

"I know why." Merudy declared quietly and teasingly from behind the two, with a few of the people that heard her snickering in response.

"What's so funny?" Jellal questioned the giggling crowd.

"Guys," Gohan said to grab everyone's attention, "Are we doing this or what?"

"Right." Jellal replied, turning back to face Gohan, "Sorry."

Gohan powered up slightly in response, more to emphasize his readiness than anything.

"Whenever you're ready." Gohan told the two, not bothering to assume any form of stance.

Jellal glanced to Erza, who nodded as she changed into her flight armor with two swords appearing in her hands. The next instant, the two rushed Gohan together, beginning one of the largest fights Fairy Tail had ever seen.

A few miles south of Oak Town…

The hooded wizard continued her forced march towards Crocus, determined to get ahead of her quarry. She wondered how far ahead of her Gajeel currently was since he had the help of Pantherlily's Aera magic. Then she realized she had no clue how much magic Lily really had and that she had no idea how far the Exceed could take the Iron Dragon Slayer without exhausting all his magic. The next thought that came to mind was her anger at Lily. She knew Gajeel had his dark side, though she believed he was a better person now; but she thought Lily had a stronger sense of honor than Gajeel. It didn't seem to make sense that he would join a dark guild, with or without Gajeel. Did Gajeel somehow convince Lily to come along with him, or did Lily want to go with him? Maybe Lily was still good, but too loyal to the Iron Dragon to leave his side.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the tree root in front of her until it was too late,tripping and falling face and hands first into the grass. Groaning lightly in pain, she berated herself for not paying attention to where she was going as she decided to sit back and rest her legs for a moment. Reaching for her bag, she grabbed it and dropped it in front of herself before rooting through it. Finding the book she was looking for, she placed it next to the bag before reaching back into the bag to find a pen. She praised herself for bringing her diary with her, knowing that if she hadn't she would probably have started talking to herself a day and a half ago. Not only was she using it to maintain her sanity, but it also became a valuable tool in keeping track of where she was or had been.

Figuring now was as good a time as any to scribble a few sentences in it, she opened the book to today's page and began writing all the thoughts she had about Gajeel and Lily. She didn't seem to notice that she was instead writing paragraphs on the subject. With all the conflicting thoughts bouncing around in her head, she began to wish she had brought someone along with her. Someone else's opinions might clear her head and help her focus on the task at hand.

_If my diary could talk, _she thought hypothetically, _What would it say about all this?_

"Hi." She suddenly heard in a woman's voice, making her instantly jump to her feet and throw the diary aside. Looking around her, she saw no one nearby and began to question her sanity as the weird thought popped into her head that maybe the diary had actually talked to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." the woman's voice apologized while she tried to track down its source. She was genuinely starting to worry for her mental health now. Noticing the confusion of the wizard, the voice spoke up again.

"Hey, I'm up here."

Looking up, she finally saw a woman in a purple shirt with long white sleeves, black boots, and a pair of jeans floating above her.

"H-Hi." She greeted as the woman landed in front of her.

"What is someone like you doing out here all by yourself?" the woman questioned suspiciously.

"Someone like me?" the hooded wizard replied indignantly, "What does that mean?"

"I didn't mean to offend you." the woman told her, "I'm just wondering what you're doing in the middle of this forest alone."

"Maybe I'm not alone." The girl retorted.

"You are." The woman stated matter-of-factly.

"How would you know that?" the wizard questioned.

"Because I've been following you since you left your little cave outside Phantom's Headquarters." The woman explained.

"You're one of them?" the wizard questioned before preparing for a fight.

"I guess so." The woman replied, confusing the other girl, "But it's complicated."

"I bet it is." The girl remarked sarcastically.

"Do you want to tell me why you're following Gajeel and Lily around?" the woman asked, ignoring the sarcasm, "Or who you are?"

"Sorry," the girl said unapologetically, "But you'll get nothing from me."

"Look," the woman began with a huff, "I've had a very long and tiring day, and I'm not really in the mood to deal with your stubbornness. If you tell me what you're up to, I may let you go about your business."

"Really?" the girl questioned disbelievingly, "Why would you let me go if I'm following one of your own?"

"I have my reasons." The woman remarked with a shrug, "It's complicated."

"Right." The girl said doubtfully, "Like I'm supposed to trust a dark wizard. Especially one that won't even say why I should trust her."

"I know what you're thinking about doing," the woman replied, moving her right foot back as if preparing for an attack, "And I'm telling you, that's a bad idea."

"Now you're threatening me?" the wizard demanded, "Now I'm definitely not telling you anything."

"Listen, if you would just-" the woman began before the word "HOLE" appeared in the ground underneath her, causing her to fall into a pitfall trap the wizard had made. Taking the opportunity she created, the wizard ran as fast as she could after grabbing her bag and diary. She got a few yards away before the woman appeared directly in front of her.

"That was interesting." The woman complimented as she brushed the dirt off her sleeves, "I didn't really expect that to happen."

"Yeah, well how about this?!" the wizard retorted before she drew the word "STONE" in between them and launched it at her pursuer. The woman put both of her hands in front of her, somehow managing to stop all five letters from hitting her without touching them before using her right hand to obliterate the word.

"Can we just stop this?" the woman questioned, "It's getting us nowhere."

The word "BULLET" appeared between the two after the wizard had jumped back a foot or two before many orange streams of energy went soaring at the woman. Each attack missed as the woman moved too fast for any of the beams to hit her.

"Look, you're magic is impressive, really." The woman stated earnestly, "But you never going to hit me."

The word "WATER" was the next to appear before flying at the woman, who didn't bother to dodge this time, instead unflinchingly using some form of barrier to shield her from the attack.

"Can you please stop wasting your magic? I really don't want to hurt you if I don't have to." the woman pleaded before the word "FIRE" materialized in front of her. The wizard was sure she hit her mark this time, but was confused when the attack passed right through her target. She could do nothing but blink when her opponent appeared in front of her and gave her a back-handed smack with her right hand. The wizard's hood fell off her head from the impact before the front of her cloak was grabbed by the other woman, who used it to throw the wizard into a nearby tree. The cloak was torn off, revealing the orange dress the wizard was wearing underneath as she went rolling aside a few feet.

The wizard felt the woman's foot on her back as she struggled to get up before she was suddenly confused by her attacker.

"You're in Fairy Tail?" the woman asked, seeing the white guild mark on back of the girl's bare shoulders.

"Yeah." The wizard retorted, "Why does that matter?"

The woman instantly removed her foot from the girl's back before helping her up, which thoroughly confused the wizard.

"What's your name?" the woman questioned, "It wouldn't happen to be Levy, would it?"

"How do you know that?" Levy replied in surprise.

"Gohan told me about a few of your members." The woman stated, "One of them was a short girl with blue hair, he said her name was Levy."

"Gohan?" Levy repeated, totally confused. Was Gohan giving away Fairy Tail information to dark guilds?

"Yeah, Gohan." The woman affirmed, "He also said your best friend's name was Lucy, and that you like to read a lot."

"I don't understand." Levy replied, "Why was Gohan telling a dark mage about Fairy Tail members? And when did he?"

"Oh, he talks to me all the time when he isn't busy." The woman explained, pointing to her head with a smile, the short black hair she wore only helped to brighten her blue eyes and white teeth as she smirked.

Levy had forgotten about Gohan's telepathic abilities.

"That still doesn't tell me why he would do that." Levy remarked, "Why would Gohan talk to you in the first place?"

"Oh, that's simple, really." The woman stated, "It's because I'm his wife."

Not too far south of Levy's location…

Gajeel and Pantherlily landed smoothly on the grass with a forest just behind them and mountains in front of them.

"This is as far as we fly tonight." Lily said as he let go of Gajeel.

"Looks like we're a quarter of the way there." Gajeel remarked as he examined their surroundings, "Not bad, cat."

"I try." Lily replied while also looking around, "How much farther are we going to walk tonight? We could make a camp on the edge of the forest if you want."

"And have the feeling that everything in the woods is watching us? I'd rather not." Gajeel answered before he started walking towards the mountains, "We can look for a cave in the mountains or something. It'll be hard for anything to spy on us with only one way in or out."

"That does sound better." Lily agreed, following Gajeel. After a minute or two, Gajeel glanced back at Pantherlily before lifting the Exceed up and putting the cat on his shoulder. Gajeel walked for at least twenty more minutes before they came across a decent spot for a camp; Lily hopped off Gajeel's shoulder to let the dragon slayer investigate alone. Walking a few feet into the cave, Gajeel sniffed the air and listened for any signs of possible danger before talking to Lily.

"You got that lacrima in your bag, right?" He asked the Exceed.

"Right here." Lily said as he dug through his bag and pulled out the object of discussion. Soon after Lily touched it, the lacrima began to glow a blue light that illuminated the cave.

"We've got dinner too." Lily added, pulling out a few cooked fish from his bag.

"Fish?" Gajeel questioned, "You really have been around Salamander's cat for too long."

"Maybe, but I am a cat." Lily said in his defense.

"Whatever." Gajeel replied dismissively as he took a fish from Lily, "Just don't start saying 'Aye Sir' every time I talk to you."

Lily was tempted to take the chance to be a smartass, but instead chuckled and took a bite out of a fish. The two ate in silence for a few minutes until Gajeel started sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Lily questioned before trying to find any new scents as well.

"Someone's outside the cave." Gajeel whispered before turning the lacrima off, "Maybe two people, but I think I'm just going crazy."

"I don't think you are." Lily added, matching Gajeel's tone, "I can smell two people as well, and they're both familiar."

"Gajeel? Lily? Are you in there?" The two heard a woman's voice ask. Gajeel and Lily were unsure if they should respond. Before they could reach a decision, a yellow light floated into the cave to relight the space and reveal the woman that had arrived.

"It's Beedel." Lily observed, more to remind Gajeel than anything.

"I know who she is." Gajeel quipped before turning to the new arrival, "What do you want? Did the old man send you?"

"No." the woman replied as she reached their little camp.

"Then why the hell are you following us?" Gajeel demanded.

"Because someone else was following you." she answered.

"I knew it." Lily remarked.

"Who?" Gajeel questioned.

"Her." the woman replied, gesturing behind her to the second new arrival, "She's been following you since-"

"YOU JERK!" the new girl screamed before running past Beedel and trying her best to punch the living hell out of Gajeel.

"Levy?!" Gajeel and Lily exclaimed at the same time as her hood fell off to reveal her identity. After letting the solid script mage get a few swings in, Gajeel caught her by the arms and made her sit still.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gajeel asked.

"I would have asked you the same thing if Videl hadn't already explained it to me!" Levy retorted indignantly.

"Videl?" Lily repeated.

"That's my real name." Videl explained as she sat down next to her glowing orb, "Well, Beedel is too, since it's just another form of my name."

"What did she explain to you?" Gajeel asked Levy.

"That you're spying on Phantom for Master Makarov." Levy answered, "You two, Gray, and Juvia."

"How the hell does she know that?" Gajeel wondered aloud.

"Gohan told her everything." Levy explained, "She's a friend to Fairy Tail."

"That geeky noobie?" Gajeel said with some confusion, releasing Levy's arms.

"If I remember correctly," Videl replied irritated, "That '_geeky_' noob beat you until you were unconscious. So, I'd watch what you say about my husband if I were you."

"Husband?" Gajeel and Lily both repeated.

"Gohan and Videl are married." Levy stated for the two as she rested next to Videl, "She's Pan's mother."

"That's right." Videl added with a nod.

"But that doesn't make sense." Lily replied, "I thought Gohan only came to Fiore with three people."

"He did." Videl said, "And then I followed them."

"If you are Gohan's wife," Lily continued, "Why didn't you join Fairy Tail with him?"

"Gohan and I decided I shouldn't." Videl explained.

"Why?" Gajeel questioned.

"Before I start answering the important questions and tell you what you need to know," Videl stated, "You three must promise me that no one else will hear any of this, okay? No one is supposed to know I even exist right now, so I'm already risking a lot by talking to you guys."

All three swore their secrecy to Videl. As soon as they did, Videl began to explain everything she knew about what was going on outside of Fairy Tail, though she withheld information about Earth, Saiyans, or the real reason she and the four Saiyans were on Earthland. After she was done, Gajeel and Lily sat quietly as they tried to connect all the dots.

"So, you joined Phantom just in case we needed help?" Gajeel questioned.

"That's right." Videl answered, "But Gohan wasn't too happy that I did."

"But you're also in Phantom to spy on them just like us?" Lily asked.

"Yep." Videl replied, "And ever since I joined, I felt that Master Porla has more on his mind than his personal grudge against Fairy Tail."

"I got the same feeling." Gajeel remarked.

"And that Edo character makes me nervous." Lily added.

"I've been trying to learn more about that guy as well." Videl stated, "But he's so secretive, it's hard to find anything."

"What do you know about him?" Lily asked.

"Only a little about his magic." Videl elaborated, "He called it 'Shadow Magic' or something like that."

"Shadow Magic?" Gajeel repeated.

"That's what he said." Videl affirmed, "I know he uses it to get around. But I don't know where he goes when he leaves."

"Porla made it sound like no one can lie to Edo either." Lily added, "But that doesn't make any sense, since we weren't caught."

"That's been bothering me as well." Videl agreed, "I don't think he's used his magic on us."

"Or he did use his magic and was just lying to the old man." Gajeel remarked.

"But why would he do that?" Lily questioned.

"Hell if I know." Gajeel answered before asking Videl, "Have you seen his magic work before?"

"Only for his travelling." Videl said, "He doesn't seem to know my true intentions either."

"This is fascinating and all," Levy chimed in, "But who is Edo?"

"We don't know." Lily explained, "That's why we're talking about him."

"Hm." Levy said thoughtfully, "Is there anything else you know about him?"

"Yeah." Gajeel answered, "He brought that fire mage from Grimoire Heart back to life."

"How?" Levy questioned, though Gajeel and Lily were surprised she immediately believed what she heard.

"We don't know." Videl, Gajeel, and Lily all said together.

The four continued on their conversation over the mysterious Edo for at least another half an hour before Levy, seemingly randomly, got frustrated and walked outside the cave.

"What's her problem?" Gajeel asked after the bluenette had walked out. Pantherlily and Videl looked knowingly at Gajeel as he asked it.

"I think we should put the discussion of Phantom on hold for now." Videl remarked thoughtfully, "Because it looks like you've got more important things to talk about."

"What does that mean?" Gajeel questioned with both Lily and Videl refusing to answer him directly.

"Fine." Gajeel said with a growl before getting up, "I'll go find out myself."

Outside of Magnolia…

The Super Saiyan God ducked, sidestepped, and blocked every attack that Erza and Jellal threw his way as their assault continued. Though he was easily dodging their attacks, Gohan had to admit that he was impressed at how long they continued their attempt to hit him. He was also surprised when he discovered that he could feel Jellal's punches and kicks more than Erza's sword attacks. Jellal was surprisingly faster than he looked, and Gohan knew soon that he was going to have difficulty maintaining his defense against the duo.

After another few seconds of enduring the barrage, Gohan threw both of his hands outward as he made a small explosive barrier of energy that made Jellal and Erza go flying back a few feet. Getting the space that he needed, Gohan used instant transmission to get behind Jellal before sending a kick at the man's side, aiming to knock him into Erza. Instead of what Gohan expected to happen, Jellal had slightly shifted in order for Gohan's kick to send him flying past Erza rather than into her. As Jellal was being hit, Erza launched once again at Gohan and landed both swords on Gohan's side with one slash before he responded with a smack that sent her flying in the opposite direction of Jellal.

As she recovered, Erza noticed that Gohan didn't seem phased by her attack; and as she thought about it, he didn't seem injured by the other hits she landed on him. Jellal had seemed to arrive at the same conclusion, since Erza suddenly heard Jellal in her head.

_Can you hear me, Erza?_ Jellal asked telepathically.

_I can. _Erza replied while the both of them tried to disguise the fact they were communicating.

_That's good. _Jellal added, _But we need to think of a way to beat him. I don't think speed alone is going to cut it. We're not going to hurt him unless we catch him off guard._

Jellal launched at Gohan, throwing a few punches and kicks at Gohan while still trying to speak with Erza.

_I see that. _Erza said to Jellal, _But I can't keep up with him with any other armor on._

_Don't worry about that. _Jellal stated as he continued an assault on Gohan, _I can be fast enough for both of us._

Gohan responded to Jellal's barrage by landing his right palm on Jellal's chest, shoving the blue haired mage back; and as soon as Jellal went skidding back, Erza launched at Gohan from behind to begin her own series of attacks.

_As soon as he pushes you back, change into a strong armor. _Jellal instructed as he rubbed his sore chest with one hand, _I'll keep him focused long enough for you to actually hit him._

Erza gave no sign that she had heard him until she blocked a kick from Gohan with both swords. As soon as she went skating over the rocky surface the three were fighting on, Erza began to change into her Purgatory armor. Gohan noticed she was changing armors, but he didn't see the end of it as Jellal grabbed his attention.

"You're an agile warrior, Son Gohan." Jellal complimented before a golden light began to surround his body, "But can you keep up with my Meteor?!"

As soon as he said the last word of his statement, Jellal began to fly around Gohan before starting another flurry of punches and kicks. Gohan was successfully blocking all of Jellal's attacks, though he could feel the increased strength in the impacts. Because he was too concerned with fending off Jellal's surprisingly strong attacks, he didn't notice Erza's silent approach with her massive mace.

_NOW! _Jellal yelled mentally as Gohan countered, firing a ki blast into Jellal's stomach. Erza swung her gigantic weapon as hard and fast as she could, with Gohan only noticing her attack at the last second. The Super Saiyan God managed to get an arm in front of the attack, barely stopping the mace from colliding with his side. Since he was facing Erza now, he didn't notice Jellal had recovered until he felt a fist land on the back of his head. Despite Jellal's success at landing a hit, Gohan's stance remained unwavering before the demi-Saiyan grabbed Erza's mace, ripped it out her hands, and used the blunt side of it to send the two sailing with one spinning swipe.

Jellal and Erza went flying through the crowd of spectators before they came to a rolling stop. Erza had landed on top of Jellal with her back to his front. She heard him groan lightly from the pain of the impact, and she turned her head to the side before speaking to him.

"Are you okay, Jellal?" She asked, taking the brief chance to rest before getting up while forgetting the fact she was laying on her ally.

"I'm fine." Jellal replied as he too took the time to recover, "But it would have felt better if you weren't wearing your armor when you landed on me."

Erza instantly went pink before nervously hopping off of Jellal, who also realized what he had said.

"I'm sorry!" He quickly apologized with a nervous stutter, "I didn't- That's not what-"

Erza was going to assure Jellal she knew what he meant, but Gohan spoke before her.

"When you two are done flirting," He called out, not bothering to start his own attack, "I'll be over here waiting for a fight."

"Don't worry." Jellal said as Erza helped him up while they both resisted the urge to blush, "This fight is only beginning."

"Hey, Mira?" Trunks asked while still eyeing Gohan, "How long does that drink you gave Gohan usually last?"

"The magic makes it last until whoever drinks it goes to sleep." Mirajane answered, "Why?"

"I'm just making sure it isn't going to change him permanently." Trunks explained, "Because I'm starting to think cocky Gohan is scarier than quiet and angry Gohan."

Mirajane giggled lightly in response before turning back to the fight.

Back by Gajeel's camp…

The Iron Dragon Slayer walked out the mouth of the cave, looking for Levy as soon as he emerged from it. He promptly found her kicking a rock off the cliff that was a few feet to the right of the cave's entrance, and he couldn't help but listen to the rock as it rolled down twenty feet of steep incline until it was out of earshot.

"What did that poor rock ever do to you?" Gajeel said jokingly, hoping to break the ice.

"Nothing." Levy replied harshly without looking at him, "But I'm just kicking rocks so I don't kick you instead."

"Still angry, huh?" Gajeel asked, deciding that teasing would probably not be his best course of action.

"What do you think?" Levy retorted, still avoiding looking at Gajeel.

"I don't know what you can be mad about." He responded honestly, "You know what was going on now."

"Yeah, now." She quipped, crossing her arms, "But just because something's explained to me doesn't mean I have to like it."

"So what? You want me to just leave Phantom again?" Gajeel questioned, "Because I'm sure that's going to go over well for all of us."

"I know that." Levy replied, "That's not really the problem."

"Then what is?" Gajeel asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Levy demanded.

"Because Gramps told me to not tell anyone." Gajeel stated.

"So what?!" Levy nearly yelled, turning on her heel to show Gajeel her reddened and watery eyes, "Who cares what Master wanted?! Do you know how worried I was?!"

"I was worried about you when we all heard that Phantom was back, but you wouldn't talk to anyone about it." Levy continued, "And then the next thing I see is you and Lily sneaking away."

"You saw us?" Gajeel questioned.

"How do you think I knew to follow you?" Levy replied, "I guessed where you were going, packed up, and got on the nearest wagon heading towards Crocus as soon as I got up in the morning."

"And then you walked the rest of the way?" Gajeel asked, getting a nod from Levy as she rubbed her eyes.

"I got to admit, I'm impressed." Gajeel remarked, "But I still think you shouldn't be here."

"Why?" Levy asked stubbornly, "Don't think I can take care of myself?"

"No," Gajeel answered honestly, "But-"

"Then I'm coming with you." Levy interrupted.

"Not a chance." Gajeel replied.

"Why not?" Levy demanded.

"I told Porla the only friends I had in Fairy Tail were Juvia and my cat." Gajeel explained, "So it'll be pretty obvious that I lied if I brought you back with me."

"Oh." Levy said, having no argument for that.

"See the problem now?" Gajeel questioned before turning to go back into the cave, "we'll head to Crocus together, but then you're getting on the first ride back to Magnolia. So when you're done crying over things you can't change, we'll be in here eating dinner."

Back to the fight…

Soon after Gohan had taunted the two wizards, the fight resumed with an immediate increase in intensity. Gohan had once again allowed the two to go on the offensive, only attacking when he found an opening for a counter. But after another few minutes, Erza and Jellal were unable to land any significant hit on the Super Saiyan God. Erza had gone back to using her flight armor in an attempt to be able to dodge any attacks Gohan directed at her while trying to draw Gohan's focus from Jellal. That plan had partially worked, since Jellal wasn't taking damage; but Erza herself wasn't as lucky.

Jellal could tell Erza was becoming physically worn out from the fight, so he began to quickly form another plan of attack. He was about to try to communicate it to her when he was suddenly staring at the palm of Gohan's right hand. Jellal did nothing but close his eyes before being struck directly in the forehead with a yellow ki blast, falling backwards and landing roughly on the rocky surface.

"Jellal!" Erza called out, rushing Gohan to get him away from her ally. Before she could reach Gohan, he disappeared. Looking around, she finally saw Gohan floating a few feet away and at least twenty feet in the air. She watched as Gohan charged more of his energy before raising his hands above his head, preparing a Masenko attack. The yellow energy quickly formed into an orb before Gohan grabbed it with his right hand. Knowing she had to move away from Jellal, Erza quickly started to run underneath Gohan before he unleashed his attack.

Leading his target after guessing her destination, Gohan yelled "Take this!" before humming the orb directly underneath himself. Fortunately for Erza, she had the reflexes to stop herself from running into the blast's path, but she had to struggle to hold her ground against the force of the bright yellow explosion that was directly in front of her.

Seeing that he missed, Gohan began to rain down a barrage of yellow ki blasts before watching as Erza started to knock them away with her swords. The audience ducked for cover as Gohan's blasts went everywhere, but they were confused when there were no explosions from any of the blasts.

Lucy in particular, was facing one of the yellow orbs as she was laying down for cover. She blinked a few times in confusion before Natsu began running to her. At the same time, Gohan was finishing his barrage, and he stuck his hand out to fire a one handed Masenko. Natsu quickly jumped on top of Lucy and covered her from the explosion as all the other orbs exploded with the final Masenko that was blocked by Erza's swords.

"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy said, turning under Natsu to face him, "It's a good thing you've got better reflexes than me."

Natsu grinned in reply, still straddling Lucy and supporting himself with his hands next to both sides of her head. It took a few seconds for Lucy to realize the compromising position she was in as she smiled back, but then she was blushing and quickly shoving Natsu off of her.

Completely oblivious to Lucy's awkward moment, Erza and Gohan continued their battle, this time with Erza going on the offensive.

"HEAVEN'S WHEEL!" Erza yelled, quickly changing into the armor and taking flight. At least thirty swords appeared behind Erza with two in her hands before she flew straight for Gohan yelling "Blumenblatt!" as she did. Gohan deflected her two slashes, letting Erza fly past him as he used began to do the same to the swords that followed.

As Gohan was dealing with the swords, Erza rushed him from behind with a yell.

"Trinity Sword!" she called out before slashing in a triangular pattern at Gohan's back. The demi-Saiyan barely felt the impacts, but it was enough to elicit a response from him. Extending his arms and legs at his side, Gohan yelled as he created a massive explosive wave that blinded everyone that was still watching and decimated the swords that were still flying towards him. Since Erza was slightly above Gohan as the explosion wracked her, she was sent higher into the air.

Quickly regaining control of her flight, she let herself fall, quickly changing into her Morning Star armor as she did. When she was just above Gohan, she slammed her two swords together and called out the attack.

"PHOTON SLICER!" she screamed as Gohan looked up and shielded himself from the massive magical blast.

The Super-Saiyan God was able to withstand the blast, descending with the attack to hopefully relieve some of the strain on the energy he used to withstand the attack. As soon as her attack was over, Erza changed into her Armadura Fairy armor, with a few gasping in surprise that she was resorting to that armor. The moment she landed, Erza rushed forward at Gohan with green lightning-like magic charged into one sword.

Gohan quickly made an energy barrier before the ensuing massive green explosion enveloped him, and Erza was genuinely surprised when she saw Gohan floating in the crater totally unharmed.

Though it was surprising that Gohan withstood one of her strongest attacks, Erza was even more so surprised when she saw Jellal standing a few yards behind with his arms crossed over his head, his right arm in front of his left.

_Sorry I scared you, _Jellal apologized to her, _But I was waiting for an opening to attack with this._

"Heavenly Body Magic:" Jellal said lowly, lucky that Gohan hadn't heard him yet, while Erza stared in fearful remembrance of the attack.

"ALTAIRIS!"

Erza quickly dove under the blast and rolled until she reached Jellal's feet as Gohan heard the call out and saw the massive celestial body form above Jellal. Instead of displaying surprise at the mage's seemingly sudden revival, he smirked and put his hands together at his side as Jellal threw his hands forward to send the massive orb flying.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Gohan quickly yelled as he threw his hands forward, meeting Jellal's attack with his own.

Erza turned to the audience and ordered them to run just before the attacks collided, and she quickly changed into her Adamantine armor to shield herself and Jellal from the resulting explosion. The slowest of the spectators went sailing away in bright blue light as the Kamehameha exploded on impact with Jellal's spell, and Erza and Jellal were shoved back a foot or two as she held off the shockwave. Across the lake, the citizens of Magnolia that were still awake and out on the streets looked on in awe at the bright blue explosion as they wondered what was causing the light show behind that mountain.

As the smoke cleared and everyone recovered, the spectators saw Gohan and Erza standing tall with one of the largest craters they had ever seen spanning the gap between the two. A few of the quicker-witted audience wondered where Jellal was, as did Erza, before suddenly getting their answer.

The blue haired mage had begun using Meteor again, and was rushing Gohan from behind. He was clearly not going to give Gohan a moment's break now. The Super Saiyan God spun around and caught Jellal's fist with a grin before head butting Jellal and throwing him towards Erza's Adamantine shield. Just as Jellal made impact with the shield chest first, Gohan warped next to the two and delivered a ki charged punch into Jellal's back. Everyone around, including Erza, stared in shock as the combined force of the explosion and punch shattered Erza's shield and caused Jellal to accidentally head butt Erza as he was tossed aside with her.

The two wizards slid across the ground after immediately losing their balance, and Gohan smirked as Jellal struggled to put his hands under himself to pick himself up.

"I don't know if we can win this battle, Jellal." Erza confessed with a whisper as Jellal lay on top of her, "We've tried almost everything and he doesn't seem injured in the slightest."

"Well, he is a god." Jellal replied with grin, "You couldn't have thought this would be easy."

Erza laughed weakly in response.

"But God or not, I know that nothing stops Erza Scarlett from reaching her goal." Jellal added as he slowly stood up and extended a hand, "Now get up so we can knock Gohan down for once."

Erza smiled in response and took his hand, standing next to him to face Gohan.

"You always know what to say, don't you?" Erza questioned, with Jellal smiling as soon as she finished her statement.

"I wish." Jellal replied, with Erza chuckling at his response, "I just usually say something I think you would."

The two made eye contact for a moment before a yellow orb flew between their faces to regain their attention.

"I'm still here, you know!" Gohan called out as his red aura burned brightly, with a few of the spectators looking at him with genuine fear in their expression, "I'm hoping you were talking about how you plan to beat me over there. Maybe you're thinking you might need a third person to beat me."

"That won't be necessary." Jellal told Gohan confidently, "Because I know that Erza and I have what it takes to beat you. This fight will be over soon."

"At least we agree on one thing." Gohan said with a grin before charging more of his energy, with the majority of the audience struggling to remain standing. As soon as he was done powering up again, he spoke.

"Now show me how you plan on beating a god!"

Phantom Lord Headquarters…

Gray and Juvia had been standing around in Jose's throne room with the rest of the Element Four for seemingly half an hour with nothing happening. The "earthquake" had stopped shortly after Juvia and Gray entered the room, and then they waited for the never arriving after shock as sol and Aria arrived. As soon as the aftershock was clearly not going to occur, Porla had begun trying to think of possible explanations for the strange occurrence. About five minutes after the first attempt at contact, Gray couldn't stop himself from making a comment.

"Does he always do this?" Gray had asked, getting a nervous glance from Juvia and an irritated look from Jose, whose pride was being injured.

"Edo is a very important man." Zancrow defended as he announced his presence.

"Clearly he's too important to answer the master's calls." Gray replied, noticing the smirk Zancrow momentarily had before ignoring Gray.

"I must agree with Monsieur Gray." Sol stated, "Who could possibly be more important to Monsieur Edo than his master?"

"Edo is not a member of this guild, you fool." Zancrow replied to Sol.

"Zancrow is right, Sol." Jose stated, tossing his communication lacrima aside in frustration after his fourth attempt to contact Edo, "He is an ally, and a very valuable ally at that. His work keeps him very busy, so I do not blame him for not answering my lacrima immediately."

"But how are we going to know why the ground was shaking?" Juvia questioned.

"My question is why the earth wizard wasn't able to do anything about it." Gray interjected, gesturing to Sol.

"I tried to stop it." Sol answered honestly, "But it felt like some force was acting against my efforts. It was no natural event, I guarantee it."

"So what was it?" Aria asked, tearing up as usual, "It's sad to think that the greatest wizards in Fiore can't know what's happening in their world."

"It is." Jose agreed with the air mage as magic energy could been seen flowing from him, "But we will know what happened very shortly. I'm sending out some of my phantoms to investigate."

"If they aren't too late." Gray remarked. No one could disagree with him as they waited for either the phantoms to find something or for Edo to contact them. At the end of the half-hour everyone was in the room, a dark portal appeared on the wall behind an unnoticing Gray and Juvia.

"Sorry I'm late." Edo said, surprising the two wizards in front of him, "But I was caught up in conversation with a very old friend."

"It's nothing," Porla assured the disguised wizard before asking, "Did you happen to feel the tremors from wherever you were with your friend?"

"I did indeed." Edo answered as he walked in front of the throne, "The entire planet was shaking, in fact."

"Do you know what caused it?" Jose questioned while Juvia and Sol could be seen with a slightly nervous expression.

"I do." Edo replied, and Gray could tell by his tone that he had to be grinning from behind that mask, "It was caused by none other than your favorite guild, Fairy Tail."

"What does Fairy Tail have that can make the entire planet tremble?" Sol demanded, "This must be a jest."

"You can't lie to me." Edo remarked, not bothering to face Sol, "So why would I lie to you?"

"Juvia, Gray," Jose said, ignoring the exchange between Edo and Sol, "Did you know of anything in Fairy Tail that could cause this?"

"Nothing that I know about." Gray replied honestly, with Juvia nodding, "But Gramps had always kept a lot to himself, so maybe he was testing something."

"I see." Jose replied, glancing to Edo, who nodded once, "I guess we should find out what's going on over at Fairy Tail then."

Gray felt Juvia shift closer to him and grab his hand, worried that something was going to happen to their friends.

"Edo, if would," Porla requested, "Can you show us what is going on in Fairy Tail?"

"I can't." Edo replied after another dark portal appeared on the ground in front of him, "Something is stopping me from looking into their guild hall. There is too much light."

_What does that mean? _Gray wondered in is head, still not knowing much of Edo's magic, but glad to know that the man couldn't have been spying on the guild from the inside.

"Do you think whatever's blocking your magic is what caused the earthquake?" Juvia asked.

"No, I do not." Edo answered.

"How do you know that?" Sol demanded.

"Because I found the source of the tremors." Edo explained before waving his hand. The dark shade on the floor moved around the room until it was on the wall and widened.

"It seems Fairy Tail is putting a former wizard saint to the test." Edo remarked as the portal showed Jellal casting Altairis at some unknown target. Everyone in the room watched as Erza shield Jellal from a massive and bright blue explosion.

"Jellal?" Juvia and Gray both said in surprise.

"His magic is insane," Gray added, "But I don't think he could have done that."

"You're right." Edo replied, "He can't."

"But whoever or whatever caused that blue light could?" Jose questioned, "Do you know what it was."

"Not yet," Edo stated, "But we're about to find out."

The image showed Jellal suddenly dash away from Erza before being thrown into her shield a few seconds later. When everyone saw a red haired man punch Jellal through Erza's shield, Gray and Juvia's eyes widened in shock and realization.

"That was Erza's Adamantine armor." Gray stated, still getting over what he just saw.

"Who was that man?" Jose asked, looking to Juvia and Gray. They were going to answer, but stopped when Edo spoke up.

"They do not know him." Edo lied for them, to their immense surprise and confusion. Gray was the first to recover, squeezing Juvia's hand in an attempt to get her to lose the look of confusion on her face. He didn't know why Edo was lying about Gohan, but he wasn't going to complain about it either.

Edo knew it wasn't Gohan that had caused the planet to tremble, but he wasn't lying when he said Gohan could do it.

"Who is he?" Jose questioned, now turning to Edo with an intrigued look, "Is he a friend of Fairy Tail?"

"He's a friend to all that fight for the light." Edo said, ignoring Jose's first question. Sol and Aria seemed puzzled by the response, but Jose's expression was thoughtful; and Zancrow's was one of understanding.

"But who is he?" Sol asked.

"He's a foe beyond any of you." Edo remarked cryptically before turning to leave the room, "You would be a fool to incur his wrath. So, I think I'll leave this up so you can witness his power personally."

As the door that was next to Gray and Juvia, he made eye contact with Gray and whispered, "Come to my chambers tomorrow morning. There is something we need to discuss."

Gray didn't reply to his request, but he made a mental note of it before looking towards the portal as Edo closed the door behind him. He saw Jellal and Erza were struggling to get up after Gohan's attack.

"At least we know where the shaking came from." Gray stated, with Juvia nodding in agreement.

"What do we do now?" Sol questioned, looking to his master.

"Didn't you hear Edo?" Zancrow retorted, "There's nothing we can do."

"So Fairy Tail has an ally that's supposedly stronger than us." Jose said thoughtfully as he stared at the image, "Perhaps we should send them a sign of our power."

"But Edo-" Zancrow began to argue, though he was cut off.

"Edo warned us to not to start a fight with him." Jose stated, "And we won't. But I can't stand the thought of Fairy Tail forgetting their greatest enemy is around once more."

"What are you planning to do?" Zancrow questioned, noticing the wild look in Jose's eyes.

"I'm not doing anything." Jose replied, "Aria will be my messenger. Perhaps Fairy Tail will remember to take us serious after this."

On the other side of Edo's magic, the three fighters were beginning the final leg of their fight, unaware of the six new spectators. Jellal was physically exhausted, and Erza was finally feeling the strain of the fight on her magic. Gohan, however, was still standing confidently with no evident signs of fatigue.

Jellal glanced to Erza, who gave him a nod to affirm she was ready. Gohan saw the exchange, and prepared himself for their next attack. A familiar golden light surrounded Jellal while Erza glowed white, taking her time to change armors.

"You're fight is with me!" Jellal yelled at Gohan, rushing him and trying to land any kind of punch or kick that he could. Gohan easily kept up with Jellal, blocking each attacking thrown at him. Gohan was about to counter Jellal when the blue haired mage suddenly gave off a blinding light, catching Gohan by surprise.

"NOW!" Jellal screamed, jumping high into the air to get out of Erza's way. A few in the crowd gasped when they recognized Erza's armor and weapon.

"That's her Nakagami armor!" Mirajane said with surprise.

"So… manly…" Elfman added, though he was mostly ignored.

As soon as Gohan regained his sight, he saw Erza rapidly approaching with her halberd aimed straight at him. He attempted to stop the blade with his ki, but was surprised to see her cut straight through his barrier. With a last second action, Gohan managed to grab the weapon just under the blade with one hand. Erza responded to his defense by turning the halberd, pulling the top of it away from Gohan and out of his grasp and landing the bottom of it in his stomach. Gohan was stunned when he realized that hit had actually hurt, and he leapt back to avoid taking another hit while preparing to counter Erza's next attack.

Instead of pressing the attack, Erza glanced up before leaping back herself. Gohan turned and looked in the direction that Erza had to see Jellal floating above. The blue haired wizard had his hands together at the wrist, extending only the index and middle finger of his right hand on top of his open left palm, in front of him and aimed them directly at Gohan.

"Witness the power…" Jellal called down to Gohan, the seven pointed constellation glowing above him,

"Of my GRAND CHARIOT!"

Gohan didn't move as the magic blast rained down on him, creating another barrier to shield himself. As soon as she saw Gohan put up another barrier, Erza rushed forward with her Nakagami armor protecting her from Jellal's magic.

"NAKAGAMI STARLIGHT!" she screamed before slashing straight at Gohan with everything she had.

Gohan saw her at the last second, and sidestepped as much of the attack as possible. Erza's move had forced him out of his barrier, and he felt as Erza's blade ran over his arm and Jellal's attack struck the top of his body.

The smoke was slow to clear; but when it did, the audience saw Gohan standing in the middle of the blast zone, his gi top destroyed and blood running from a gash in the top of his right forearm. Erza was standing not too far behind Gohan when her armor changed back to her typical Heart Kreuz outfit and she fell to one knee. Jellal landed next Erza roughly, panting as he recovered from his own exhaustion.

"He's bleeding!" Wendy observed as everyone looked on in amazement. Erza and Jellal had made Gohan bleed.

"No way." Goten, Trunks, and Natsu said simultaneously in awe.

"Papa!" Pan yelled, struggling to wriggle out of Lucy's grip to run to her father's side.

"It's okay, Pan." Gohan called out to her, showing her a smile to back his statement, "I'm okay."

Pan stopped fighting Lucy and calmed down at her dad's words.

"Not bad, you guys." Gohan said with a smile as he held his left hand against the wound, "But just because you hurt me doesn't mean you've won."

"Jellal," Erza said, stumbling slightly as she stood, "I've got nothing left."

"It's fine, I'm running low on magic myself." Jellal replied to her, "But this last attack will end this, one way or the other. And I'm sure it's strong enough to bring him down."

"Oh, really?" Gohan challenged, releasing his injured arm.

"Indeed." Jellal affirmed, "No one can with stand the power of this attack. Not even gods."

"Bring it on then." Gohan commanded Jellal with a smirk.

"As you wish." Jellal replied before bowing down, pointing the index and middle fingers of both hands to the ground.

"Not this spell!" Merudy complained, getting ready to run as far as she could.

Jellal began to rotate his right arm upwards, still pointing his fingers as he did so. Clouds began to cover a massive area above the fight, rotating around a large eye in the storm while Trunks and Goten prepared to have to defend the spectators from what promised to be the most dangerous attack yet. As Jellal's right hand pointed skyward, he said,

"TRUE HEAVENLY BODY MAGIC…"

Gohan watched in amazement as a bright reddish-orange light began to glow from the center of the eye, but became confused when it suddenly faded away. Looking towards, Jellal, he saw the man's face held an expression of shock as he stood in his stance. Gohan saw a man standing behind Jellal, who then cast some kind of attack that caused a number of purple explosions around his victim. The smoke began to clear to allow Gohan to see the attacker running away with Jellal standing in shock like everyone else.

"No…" Jellal said weakly before falling face first onto the ground.

"JELLAL!" Erza yelled, with everyone seeing a rather large and crying man disappearing behind the former wizard saint.

Gohan instinctively chased after the man, seeing him step into some strange portal while Erza reached Jellal. In a desperate attempt to stop the attacker, Gohan launched a massive ki blast with his wounded arm, seeing it follow the man through the disappearing portal. When Gohan had finally reached the shadow-like rift, there was nothing there at all.

On the other side of the portal, Gray and Juvia watched in horror as Sol was struck by the blast that Aria ducked, screaming in pain as it hit him. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of the earth mage or the wall that was behind the man. Gray could only think of one phrase for the moment:

"Holy crap!"

Back by Gohan, Erza held Jellal in her arms as she saw how green his face had become.

"Wendy!" Erza called desperately as everyone else ran over to them. They made way for the Sky Maiden, making sure to also give Jellal enough room to breathe.

Wendy quickly went to work, doing her best to heal Jellal.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized, nearly on the verge of tears, "He's suffering from Magic Deficiency Syndrome. I can only heal his physical injuries."

"It's okay." Jellal assured her weakly, "I'm fine."

Wendy started to tear up, angry at her inability to help; and Goten wrapped an arm around her and let her cry into his shoulder as soon as he reached her.

"Thank you, Wendy." Erza said, seeing the girl nod as she still cried.

Nearly everyone jumped in shock when there was a sudden explosion off to the side. They turned to see Gohan had punched a massive crater in the ground next to him in rage.

"I couldn't stop him." He told the crowd, "But I felt his energy. He is about to pay."

"Gohan wait!" Mirajane called out, but was too late as Gohan put two fingers to his head and disappeared.

Gray and Juvia were still motionless in shock when Gohan appeared in the throne room.

"WHERE ARE YOU, COWARD?!" the Super-Saiyan God screamed as Aria used his magic to go invisible.

"Run, Juvia!" Gray yelled, taking her by the hand, slamming his weight against the door to the room, and tumbling with Juvia and the unhinged door. The two didn't hesitate to leap to their feet and run like hell down the hallway.

"I DON'T NEED TO SEE YOU TO HIT YOU!" Gohan informed the mage, closing his eyes and using his ki sense to track the mage down. His immense energy suddenly filled the whole room, and Aria was suddenly gasping for air as he became visible again. He didn't have enough time to react when Gohan grabbed him by his throat and pinned him against one of the three remaining walls. Aria struggled for air under Gohan's grip while the demi-Saiyan made eye contact with Jose.

"You are their master, I take it?" He asked the completely shell-shocked former wizard saint, who was still standing by his throne. Jose nodded weakly before Gohan leapt toward him with Aria still in his hand. Gohan used Aria in one swinging strike to decimate the throne, with Porla only just managing to dive out the way. Aria was sprawled out a few feet away from what little remained of his master's seat, and Gohan slowly walked up to him and prepared to grab the man.

"Enough!" Gohan heard someone yell at him and felt a burning sensation on his back. Turning to the speaker, he saw a wizard with long yellow hair, maniacal red eyes, and black fire burning in his hands staring him down.

"You've had your revenge." The man told Gohan, "Now leave before this gets any more out of hand. The fools that attacked you have been punished for their idiocy. No one else here agreed with their actions."

"Is that so?" Gohan asked, preparing for another fight, "Because I see another kind of idiot that needs punishment. I see a dark wizard standing in front of me."

"My name is Zancrow." The fire mage told Gohan, "And I have no problem with fighting you. But this is not the right time or place. You've already killed one man today."

"That's a shame." Gohan said unemotionally before appearing in front of Zancrow and grabbing him by the throat, "I meant to kill all of you."

"If you kill me," Zancrow replied, struggling to get the words out, "My master will kill your Fairy Tail allies Gray and Juvia."

"Gray and Juvia are traitors." Gohan stated, his anger toning down as he remembered to not ruin Gray and Juvia's acting.

"Are they really?" Zancrow questioned, placing an ignited hand on Gohan's blood soaked wrist.

Gohan felt the skin on his arm begin to burn, and he released Zancrow, who landed on his knees and gasped for air.

"I have no problem fighting you either, Zancrow." Gohan declared as his energy shoved Zancrow to the ground, "But I'm afraid I won't get the chance to fight you, because there's an entire guild that wants to destroy you first."

"Tell Fairy Tail to bring it on." Zancrow retorted, slowly standing up, "Phantom Lord will prove it's might against your friends. And then I'll slowly roast you after you've watched all your friends die."

"I'm looking forward to it." Gohan said sarcastically before putting two fingers to his head, "Before I go, I want you to remember two things: My name is Son Gohan, and this is what I do to those that attack the innocent and defenseless."

With that said, Gohan disappeared, leaving the demolished room in total silence.


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: To War?

Gohan reappeared next to Goten and Wendy, who were watching as Merudy and Erza tried to help Jellal stand up.

"Gohan!" a few in the crowd said as they saw him. But after they read the expression on his face, few of those people dared to approach him as his hair color returned to its normal hue. Ignoring the staring crowd, Gohan walked up to Jellal, Erza, and Merudy.

"How is he?" Gohan asked Erza, noticing the sickly appearance Jellal had.

"Not well." Erza answered honestly, "We need to get him back to Fairy Tail as soon as possible."

"We could take him to Gran-, I mean, Miss Porlyusica's." Wendy suggested, "She treated me for Magic Deficiency."

"Porlyusica?" Gohan repeated.

"She's a healer that's an old friend of Master Makarov." Mirajane explained to Gohan.

"Where does she live?" Gohan asked.

"I know where she lives." Erza told Gohan, "I can guide you there."

Gohan nodded before looking to Goten and Trunks, "Take Jellal and Erza to Porlyusica, and listen to everything Erza tells you, okay? I'm going to bring everyone else to Fairy Tail and then I'll meet you over there."

Goten and Trunks nodded before flying over to the two wizards. Goten quickly grabbed Jellal under the man's arms while Trunks did the same for Erza before they shot off into the sky. Everyone else that had heard Gohan's instructions immediately started to grab their guildmates' hands. No one wanted to be that one person that didn't follow Gohan's instructions.

"Gohan," Wendy said just before reaching for his hand, "You're still bleeding."

"What?" Gohan replied, nearly forgetting his own injury, "Oh, yeah."

Wendy walked closer to him and inspected his arm, "Where did these burn marks come from?"

"One of Jellal's attacks." Gohan lied as he felt his arm begin to heal.

"Did you get the bad man, Papa?" Pan asked as she and Lucy approached. A few in the crowd wanted to know the answer to that question as well.

"I did." Gohan answered, "But that's not important right now. We've got to get everyone somewhere safe first."

Pan nodded and took her father's hand before he lifted her up and put her on his shoulders with his free hand.

"There we go." Wendy said as she finished her work.

"Thanks, Wendy." Gohan told the Sky Maiden, "Now let's get back to the guild."

Mirajane, who had been standing next to Wendy as she healed Gohan, took the demi-Saiyan's hand and Wendy's as soon as he spoke.

"We're ready." Mira reported to Gohan, who nodded and put two fingers to his forehead.

Back at Phantom…

Gray and Juvia were huddled under a layer of ice that was protecting them from parts of the collapsed stairwell they had ran into in their attempt to escape Gohan's wrath. The two thought they were in the clear as they reached the stairs, but the impact of Gohan's energy was too much for the damaged building; given that parts of the top floors of the H.Q. were now located a few stories down.

"Well, we're safe for now." Gray remarked as he examined the room of ice they were now in, "But this won't hold for long. We need to find a way out of here."

Gray heard ice breaking behind him, and he turned around to see Juvia crouched down and facing away from him as she broke a small hole in the floor.

"What are you doing?" Gray questioned, more out of curiosity than concern, as he saw water flowing from her hand and into the opening.

"Juvia is trying to see what the damage looks like." She explained, still using her magic. After a minute or so, Juvia stood back up and turned to face Gray.

"Find anything?" Gray asked.

"The door on our floor is completely collapsed, but the stairs below us seem to be intact." Juvia answered.

"So our only way out is down?" Gray questioned.

"We could break through the wall, and risk the jump out the building." Juvia replied.

"We could, but I'd rather not have to climb all the way back up to the throne room." Gray said with a chuckle.

"What if you made something to get us down a few floorsthe stairs faster?" Juvia asked.

"What, like a slide or something?" Gray added, getting a nod from Juvia, "That might work. How many floors do you think we need to go down?"

"Only a few." Juvia replied.

"Okay." Gray said thoughtfully, "So we break the floor, jump, and slide down?"

Juvia nodded before adding, "I can try to slow the debris falling above us, but I know you don't like being cold and wet."

Gray laughed weakly before looking back at the ceiling.

"If it means that it'll help me avoid being crushed to death," Gray said with a smirk, "I think I'll let it slide this time."

Juvia started to use her magic, making a floating layer of water just under the ceiling, before she stopped and giggled, and Gray looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, "I just got your pun."

Gray still looked at her, slightly confused, "What pun?"

"You said you'll let it slide." Juvia explained.

"I didn't make the joke on purpose." Gray replied honestly with a slight grin, "But it's been a while since you've shown a sense of humor."

"Juvia's always had one, it just wasn't always a nice one." Juvia told Gray, the two seemed to be ignoring the fact that at least four stories of rubble were resting just above them.

"Yeah, well," Gray said with a thoughtful expression, "I guess that's what happens when you hang out at places like this for too long."

"I am sorry I dragged you into this." Juvia apologized, realizing once again that Gray was in danger because of her.

"Don't be." Gray replied surprisingly warmly as he prepared to punch a hole in the floor, "We've been over this already. I'm here because I want to be. Now let's get out of this death trap and see what else Gohan blew up."

Juvia brightened up at Gray's reminder before nodding and standing next to Gray.

At Gajeel's camp…

The only two people still awake were Videl and Levy, who sat on opposite sides of the fire. Levy was watching the cave entrance for any signs of trouble while Videl seemed to be staring into the fire, lost in her thoughts. Gajeel and Pantherlily were sleeping next to each other, and Videl glanced away from the fire at just the right moment to see Levy looking at the two.

"So, Levy," Videl said quietly with a smirk as the wizard made eye contact with her, "How long have you had a thing for Gajeel?"

"I don't have a thi-" Levy began to argue, but stopped when she saw Videl's knowing expression.

"Are you really going to try arguing that after everything I saw today?" Videl joked, smiling at the bluenette's embarrassed expression.

"It was worth a try, I guess." Levy remarked, and Videl chuckled.

"Use that response often?" The older woman questioned. Levy shook her head.

"Not really." The mage told her new friend, "Only Mira's ever talked about Gajeel with me before. I think Lily knows what's going on too, but he tends to avoid the issue when I'm around."

"Lily seems pretty smart." Videl added, "You're probably right about him."

Levy felt somewhat awkward about the discussion, so she was hesitant to continue it until she saw Videl smirk.

"What's that for?" The mage questioned, feeling like she was missing something funny.

"My bad." Videl apologized, "I was just remembering something."

"What is it?" Levy wondered.

"When you charged at Gajeel earlier, I did the same thing once with Gohan." Videl explained, "Managed to hit him a few times, too."

"I can't imagine Gohan making anyone angry." Levy remarked, "What did he do to make you want to hit him?"

"It's a bit complicated." Videl answered honestly, "Not too long after I realized how I felt about him, something terrible had happened; and everyone thought Gohan had been killed. It was a miracle towhen I seeaw him standing in front of me, alive and well; but my first thought was to punch him for scaring the hell out of me."

"I would have done the same." Levy remarked with a smile before asking, "How long have you and Gohan been together?"

"We were dating since high school," Videl answered, "But we got married a couple years ago."

"Have you ever thought you'd be anywhere else?" Levy questioned.

"You mean without Gohan?" Videl replied before shaking her head, "Have you ever imagined being with someone other than Gajeel?"

"No, well… once, before I knew Gajeel." Levy said, "I almost went out on a date with Jet, but Droy started a fight with him over me before I could ask him to it; I was so embarrassed and frustrated that I gave up and went home."

"But after I watched Gajeel take a beating from Jet, Droy, and Laxus," Levy added, "I knew there was something about him I liked."

"Seems you were right." Videl remarked.

"I usually am." Levy replied with smirk before glancing to Lily and Gajeel with a sigh.

Levy was going to ask another question, but Videl's expression suddenly turned from pleasantly thoughtful to angry in a matter of seconds.

"Rggh… I'm going to kill him." Videl said in exasperation as she felt a faintly familiar energy.

"Is something wrong?" Levy asked.

"Yes. But there's nothing we can do about it now." Videl remarked before crushing a small rock with her hand.

"What is it?" Levy questioned, wondering why Videl was being so secretive suddenly.

"It's nothing serious, just annoying really." Videl replied before laying down a little farther from the fire, "I'll deal with it in the morning after I get you three to Crocus."

Near Porlyusica's home…

"I can't believe the door here is a tree." Yamcha whined as Pu'ar followed him through the dark forest, "I mean, I know it's supposed to be a secret door and all; but how do you expect to find one tree in an entire forest? They all look the same!"

"Maybe we should have written down where it was." Pu'ar suggested.

"We can later." Yamcha replied as he looked around, "But right now, we need to get out of this forest."

Pu'ar nodded and silently followed his friend as they continued their trek through the woods. After a few minutes of walking, Pu'ar suddenly got Yamcha's attention.

"Yamcha!" Pu'ar said quietly, "What's that over there?"

Turning towards the direction Pu'ar was pointing, Yamcha saw a large tree in the center of a clearing. He almost told Pu'ar that it was nothing, but then he saw light coming from the tree.

"What the?" Yamcha said as he started walking closer to his edge of the treeline. As he got closer, he saw the tree had a door built into it.

"That's someone's home, Pu'ar." Yamcha observed as the two huddled between the trees and the bushes.

"Does it look like anyone's in there?" Pu'ar asked, "Maybe they could tell us how to get out of this forest."

"If we could fly this would be so much easier." Yamcha remarked, "But then Gohan might find us. Or worse, Videl."

Pu'ar nodded in agreement before waiting for Yamcha's instructions.

"Alright." Yamcha said, about to step out into the clearing, "Let's-"

"Yamcha, wait!" Pu'ar interrupted before tackling the Z fighter into nearby shrubs.

"Pu'ar?" Yamcha began to argue, "What are-"

The answer to his question came before he could finish it as he heard a noise overhead.

"This is it!" the two heard a woman say. They then heard the sounds of feet touching the ground, like they were landing. Turning in the bushes, Yamcha saw a red haired woman in armor carrying a blue haired man towards the door of the house. When he saw who was standing in front of the red haired girl, Yamcha suddenly felt nervous.

"That's Goten and Trunks." Yamcha whispered. The two watched as Goten, Trunks, and the red haired girl conversed with a rather irate pink-haired woman. After a minute, the pink-haired woman reluctantly let the four inside her house, closing the door behind herself after following her guests in.

"That was strange." Yamcha said as he climbed out the bushes, patting himself off as soon as he was standing.

"It sounded like they were asking that lady for help." Pu'ar stated.

"That other guy didn't really look too good." Yamcha added, "I wonder what happened."

"I'm starting to think coming here was a bad idea." Pu'ar remarked.

"We'll be fine, Pu'ar." Yamcha reassured the cat as he resumed his walk through the forest, "The only bad idea I've had so far is trying to hide in a forest while wearing orange."

"I was going to ask why you were wearing that old outfit anyway." Pu'ar replied thoughtfully as he floated behind his friend, "I thought you gave up fighting."

"I did on Earth." Yamcha told the floating cat, "But that was because the only fair competition I had was Tien or Krillin. But Bulma made it sound like I could actually have some fun over here."

"We're not here just so you can fight people are we?" Pu'ar questioned.

"Of course not." Yamcha answered, "But Bulma told me the magic people have here is usually used for fighting. So I may have to fight someone to see their magic."

Pu'ar nodded in understanding at Yamcha's reasoning before adding, "I still think we should at least talk to Gohan about this. Just so he doesn't get too angry."

"We probably should." Yamcha agreed, "But I don't think Gohan is who we should really be worried about; I mean, I can barely remember the last time I saw Gohan get angry."

"I heard Krillin say once that Gohan's more dangerous than Goku or Vegeta when he's angry." Pu'ar stated timidly. Yamcha remembered the memory well, but did not want to entertain the thought of an angered Gohan.

"Don't worry, Pu'ar, I'm sure Gohan isn't going to do anything if he finds out we're here." Yamcha assured his friend as a nearby town came into view past the trees, "I mean, if this place is as awesome as Bulma described it; I don't know how someone could be in a bad mood while they're here."

In Porlyusica's home…

Trunks and Goten stood by the door, looking around and waiting for something to happen while Erza stood nervously aside Jellal's bed, glancing between him and Porlyusica. The healer was currently putting a mysterious potion together, and Goten started leaning to try to see exactly what she was doing.

"It's fortunate you brought him to me as soon as you did." Porlyusica said as she worked, "With as much magic power he's lost, he may have died soon without treatment."

"He's going to be alright now, though?" Trunks asked for everyone else in the room.

"He will be." The pink haired woman assured the others, "But it will be a while before he will be in any decent condition."

"How long?" Erza questioned.

"A few weeks at the most." Porlyusica answered, bringing her concoction to Jellal as Erza stepped aside, "It could be overnight if someone had gathered his magic."

"I thought of trying that." Erza replied, "But I don't know exactly how to do that."

"Any wizard with a basic understanding of air magic could manage the task." Porlyusica explained, causing Goten to perk up slightly, "But the longer we wait, his magic is scattered farther away from here."

"Wendy could do it." Goten chipped in, somewhat proudly. Erza, Porlyusica, and Trunks all turned to look at him.

"You're right!" Erza declared before ordering Goten, "Go get Wendy and bring her here quickly!"

Goten nodded before dashing out the door and taking off.

"One of the guild's newest members, I take it?" Porlyusica asked in reference to Goten.

"That's correct." Erza answered her before gesturing to Trunks, "One of the three."

"I'm Trunks." the demi-Saiyan greeted, "And that was Goten."

"Who's the third?" Porlyusica asked as she made Jellal drink the potion she had concocted.

"His name's Gohan." Trunks informed the healer, "Goten's older brother."

"He was the one Jellal and I were fighting when this happened." Erza explained.

"You children and your competitions." Porlyusica said with a shake of her head.

"It was a pretty awesome fight." Trunks stated, "You had some pretty cool moves, Erza."

The Knight nodded in appreciation, not really in the best mood to talk about the whole event.

"What was that stuff you gave him just now?" Trunks asked the healer as she soaked a rag in cold water.

"It was something to help with the pain." Porlyusica answered as she placed the rag on Jellal's forehead, "Magic Power Deficiency is a very painful affliction, especially for someone with as much magical energy as him."

"Why does it hurt?" Trunks questioned.

"A wizard's life force is connected to his magic." Porlyusica explains, "If a wizard is drained completely of his magic, he becomes unable to function. It's not necessarily a lethal condition, but the symptoms of it can be, and the strength of the symptoms is determined by how much magic power is lost."

"I guess it's fortunate he had already used a large amount of magic in the fight." Erza remarked.

"Perhaps." Porlyusica replied, "But he may not have been attacked successfully at all if he wasn't focused on fighting."

"It's my fault." Erza said sadly, "I should have been watching his back. Or not have let him fight in the first place."

"Erza…" everyone heard Jellal mumble as he tried to move. Erza moved quickly to him and pinned his arms down so he wouldn't get up.

"Don't try to move right now." Erza instructed the former wizard saint, "You need all the strength you can get."

He nodded weakly just before Goten and Wendy nearly knocked Trunks over on their way in.

"Is Jellal okay?" Wendy asked with concern as she moved next to Erza, who was still holding Jellal's arms by the wrists and sitting on the bed against his leg.

"For now." Porlyusica answered the blue haired girl, "But he can heal much faster if someone would gather his magic. I'm sure he told you that before you came here?"

"He did," Wendy replied nervously, "But I'm not entirely sure I know how."

"We don't have the time to teach you the proper spell." Porlyusica explained, "But there's another way you can help him."

Back at Phantom…

Gray and Juvia quickly ran up the stairs on the opposite end of the long hallway before reaching the floor Jose's throne room was on. Hurrying through the doorway, the two jogged down the hall and entered the room without hesitation. Upon entering, they had discovered that the ceiling had collapsed and buried the entire room in rubble.

"I guess this place has a new balcony now." Gray joked flatly as he looked up at the night sky.

"You think this is funny?" Zancrow questioned from behind the remainder of Jose's throne as he was lifting debris off of Aria.

"Not really." Gray replied, "But I can't say we didn't deserve this."

"I agree." Juvia added, "We should have followed Edo's advice."

"Where's the old man at?" Gray questioned, noticing Jose was nowhere to be found.

"He left to speak with Edo about this Gohan." Zancrow answered, lifting an unconscious Aria out the wreckage.

"How is he?" Gray asked, gesturing to the air mage.

"He'll live." Zancrow said as he began to carry Aria out the room, "Though he doesn't deserve to."

"What about Sol?" Juvia added tentatively.

"There's nothing left of him." Zancrow answered.

"Could he have dodged the attack at the last second?" Juvia questioned, not really wanting to believe Gohan had eradicated the earth mage so easily.

"He was never going to dodge that." Zancrow remarked as Gray silently offered to help carry Aria. Zancrow shook his head at Gray to say he didn't need any help.

"So what do we do now?" Gray asked, looking over the destroyed room.

"I'm guessing our fool of a master is going to try to find a replacement for the earth wizard." Zancrow replied, "But for tonight, we have no further instructions."

"So that's it?" Gray questioned, "Just go back to bed?"

"If you ask me," Zancrow remarked, "None of us should have gotten out of bed in the first place. I'm taking this moron to the recovery room before I report to the master. He was worried you two had run off for good."

"We wouldn't do that." Juvia stated.

"Don't worry." Zancrow assured as he reached the door, "I'll make sure Porla knows you came to our aid."

"Thanks, I guess." Gray replied before adding, "Oh, take the stairs on the right. The left side collapsed on us."

In the skies over Magnolia…

Goten floated in the air with Wendy riding piggyback as he and the Sky Maiden looked around.

"Anything?" Goten asked, looking over his shoulder to talk to Wendy.

"Maybe. It's kind of hard to tell." Wendy answered before pointing to the west, "But it feels like some of Jellal's magic was carried that way."

"Okay!" Goten said before rocketing westward without hesitation.

"Don't squeeze my neck so hard, Wendy." Goten remarked after stopping where Wendy told him to.

"Sorry." Wendy replied, "I'm still not used to flying this fast."

"It's no big deal." Goten assured her, "I just don't wanna pass out while we're all the way up here."

Wendy nodded in agreement before Goten spoke up.

"I can't see anything around here." He stated as he glanced around.

"You're not going to." Wendy explained, "Magic energy is only visible when a wizard is casting a spell. Otherwise it looks just like the air."

"But you can tell the difference?" Goten asked.

"That's right." Wendy said with a nod before gasping.

"What is it?!" Goten asked with some concern. He heard Wendy sniffing the air.

"There's some of Jellal's magic nearby." Wendy told the demi-Saiyan.

"Where?" Goten questioned, still not liking that he couldn't see or feel the magic power.

"There." Wendy informed Goten, pointing just ahead, "Go slowly this time."

Goten nodded before floating forward a few yards before Wendy stopped him again.

"So how do we gather his magic and send it back to him?" Goten asked as he was once again looking around aimlessly.

"The way Miss Porlyusica explained it to me is that we just have to guide it back to him." Wendy answered.

"How do we do that?" Goten asked once more.

"Normally, someone would use a spell made just for this kind of problem." Wendy explained as she tried to pinpoint Jellal's missing magic, "But we don't have the time for someone to learn it."

"But there's another way besides the spell, right?" Goten questioned.

"That's right." Wendy answered thoughtfully, "And it's very simple since we're dealing with air magic."

"Because you're a Sky Dragon Slayer?" Goten said thoughtfully.

"Yes." Wendy said with a nod, "Jellal's magic is now a part of the air around us, and since I can eat air-"

"You're the lacrima?" Goten finished for her. Wendy nodded.

"After I eat the air with Jellal's magic in it," Wendy continued, "I can easily send it back to him and reverse that dark wizard's spell."

"But I thought you told me it's bad to eat other wizard's magic." Goten recollected, cocking his head in lieu of being able to scratch his head as he thought.

"It is." Wendy answered, "But sickness from eating someone else's magic is much easier to treat than magic deficiency."

"Wait," Goten said with concern running over his face, "I'm up here helping you get sick?"

"It's a possibility." Wendy answered honestly, "But Jellal can't be stuck in bed for weeks, he needs to be healed now."

"But I don't want you to get hurt." Goten argued.

"Whatever damage Jellal's magic does to me will go away with a good night's rest." Wendy replied.

"But-" Goten tried to maintain his argument before Wendy cut him off.

"Goten, I'm glad you're worried about me." Wendy said kindly, "But right now, Jellal needs our help; and this is the fastest way to do it. I promise I'm not in any kind of danger from this."

"Fine." Goten muttered, realizing Wendy was right, "But you better be ready to train extra hard tomorrow morning."

"I will be." She promised before inhaling as much air as she could. Goten felt the wind rush towards them from all directions before suddenly stopping as he heard Wendy swallow it.

"Where to?" He asked. Wendy pointed westward again. The demi-Saiyan nodded before telling Wendy to hold on and shooting off in search of Jellal's magic.

In Porlyusica's home…

Trunks was still standing around by the door, watching as the healer and Erza tended to the ailing wizard. He was wondering if anyone had remembered he was in the room until Gohan appeared directly in front of him with another pink haired woman.

"Sorry I took so long." Gohan apologized as he walked to Jellal's bed with Merudy, "But I had to help Mirajane keep the rest of the guild calm. They're not too happy Jellal was attacked."

"None of us are." Erza remarked as she ran the cold rag over Jellal's head.

"He will be better shortly." Porlyusica stated as she stood watching Erza work, "Wendy and that other boy are gathering his magic as we speak."

"She means Goten." Trunks filled Gohan in.

"I was wondering where he was going." Gohan remarked, "He didn't even stop to tell me why he ran out the guild with Wendy."

"He wasn't running off somewhere with his girlfriend if that's what you were worried about." Trunks said jokingly.

"Wendy is in a relationship with that boy?" Porlyusica questioned, raising an eyebrow at Trunks.

"I still don't believe it, but yeah." Trunks answered, "Why?"

"It's none of your business." Porlyusica quipped.

"I'm still concerned about their age." Erza added as she let the rag rest on Jellal's forehead.

"The boy did seem airheaded to me." Porlyusica remarked.

"To be fair, isn't an 'airhead' a good match for Wendy?" Trunks replied, "Considering the type of magic she uses and all?"

Gohan and Merudy chuckled in response while Erza and Porlyusica seemed to ignore Trunks' humor.

"If it helps," Merudy chipped in, "I could tell those two had a strong connection to one another as soon as I saw them."

"Are you saying you can tell who's attracted to who?" Gohan questioned.

"In a way." Merudy explained, "But it's more like I can feel the feelings people givecaus each other. I'd even risk claiming that I could sensory link those two easier than many others in your guild. Though they are a bunch of other easy connections I could make in Fairy Tail."

"Really? What other connections?" Erza questioned, her romantic side becoming curious before she shut it down with a faint blush, "On second thought, don't answer that right now."

Merudy smirked at Erza knowingly. Gohan shrugged off the interaction after Trunks glanced at him in confusion.

"Alright then." Gohan spoke up before turning to Trunks, "I should probably let you guys treat Jellal. This place is going to be pretty cramped when Goten and Wendy come back. You coming, Trunks?"

Trunks nodded before watching Gohan with confusion as the older demi-Saiyan walked past him and opened the dooropened the door in order to leave.

"We're not using instant transmission?" Trunks questioned.

"Not right now." Gohan answered as he walked through the door.

"Why not?" Trunks wondered aloud, slowly following Gohan out the door.

"Because I feel like flying." Gohan replied before turning around to make eye contact with Erza, "Can you tell Goten to come talk to me when he gets back?"

Erza nodded before Gohan closed Porlyusica's door; and as soon as the door was closed, the two demi-Saiyans took off into sky.

At Phantom…

Edo strode with purpose across the dining hall of the headquarters before quickly swinging open a deceivingly-small wooden door that led into a massive storage room. He quickly eyed the contents of the room before moving to the back right corner room. There were dozens of crates stacked on and against one another. Edo moved to the left side of the crates and smirked when he saw once again the royal symbol of Fiore on the sides of the crates. Removing the smirk from his face, Edo quickly shifted a few of the crates to the right haphazardly. One of the higher-stacked crates fell to the side, spilling thousands of Jewels over the floor.

Not even offering the mess a glance, Edo finally pushed the rest of the crates out of his way until he reached the corner of the room. Going to one knee, he examined the floor before finding a single claw mark on one stone brick. He was about to touch it when he was interrupted.

"What are you doing back here?" he heard from behind, and he glanced around to see a disheveled Jose Porla staring at him.

"Checking on my pet project." Edo replied, smirking when he noted the dirt and dust on Porla's clothing, "Or am I no longer allowed to see my own creation?"

"I don't care about that!" Porla retorted as Edo turned back to the corner, "What I meant to ask was: where were you a few minutes ago?!"

"I was walking down the stairs." Edo stated before running a finger over the claw mark, "And listening to the commotion you caused. I warned you not to anger that man."

"You knew what was happening and you didn't bother to help?" Jose demanded with irritation.

"I did help." Edo remarked as he pushed down on the claw mark, "I brought Zancrow here."

"Sol is dead!" Jose argued as Edo watched a square section of the floor slide away, "And your friend did nothing to stop this 'Gohan'!"

Momentarily ignoring Jose, Edo dropped into the square hole before hearing Jose follow him.

"I see you learned his name." Edo noted as he slowly walked down the dark tunnel he had just entered, "Tell me, what did you feel when you saw his power?"

Jose hesitated to answer, but that hesitation was all Edo needed.

"You should have heeded my warnings about Gohan." Edo scolded, keeping his slow pace as he neared the end of the path, "If he wanted to, he would have destroyed you all."

"I refuse to believe any man is powerful enough to do that." Jose stated.

"Gohan isn't just a man." Edo retorted before reaching a solid, black-steel door, "He's a god."

"A god?!" Jose repeated. Edo could faintly hear the fear in Jose's words.

"I didn't know this tunnel created echoes." Edo joked as he put a hand on the door. He was about to push it open when he heard Jose.

"Now is not the time for jokes!" Jose complained with force as he collected his thoughts. Edo shrugged before shoving the door open and crossing the threshold. The room inside was cloaked in darkness, and Jose tentatively followed Edo as he continued his rant.

"You must be mistaken." Porla insisted as his eyes adjusted to the dark.

"I don't make mistakes." Edo interrupted harshly.

"But how do you know?" Jose questioned, "Who told you that this 'Gohan' is a god?"

"Why do you bother to ask questions you already know the answer to?" Edo asked rhetorically.

"But I thought gods were-" Porla replied before he was cut off.

"Please, tell me what a god is supposed to look like." Edo remarked, biting back a laugh.

"I will when you tell me how to kill one." Jose quipped.

"That's simple." Edo replied confidently before walking towards the center of the pitch-black room.

Jose started to follow, but stopped after he lost sight of Edo in the darkness.

"I almost forgot," Edo remarked, his voice seeming to come from all sides of the room, "You've never been in here, have you?"

Jose shook his head before responding, "Not since you took the light lacrima out."

"They're still here." Edo explained, "I'm just trying to remember where I put them."

"Wouldn't it be important to keep track of those things?" Jose questioned, getting impatient.

"I can see better in the dark, remember?" Edo replied before declaring, "Found them."

Porla heard the clinking of lacrimas before Edo spoke up again.

"You ask me how I plan to kill Gohan," Edo stated as he played with one of the lacrima.

"And you say 'that's simple'." Jose added.

"Why do you think I brought you a god slayer?" Edo questioned.

"Please, Zancrow did nothing when we were attacked." The dark guild master complained, "I don't believe he's strong enough to take on a god; even if his magic allows him to kill one."

"For once, you're right." Edo remarked as he reappeared in front of Jose, "Zancrow is not yet strong enough to face Gohan alone in battle. That's why I said not to anger him."

"Then how do you plan on making Zancrow stronger? We don't have time for training." Jose demanded.

"That answer, my friend," Edo answered with a smirk, "Is directly in front of you."

With a dramatic flourish, Edo activated the lacrima in his hand, releasing a blinding light. As soon as his vision recovered, Jose stared in awe at the massive creation in front of him.

"This is what you've been working on?" Jose asked, slightly intimidated. He looked to Edo, who wore a prideful smirk.

"But I thought it was destroyed!" Porla stated.

"It was." Edo explained, "But my shadows show me everything. I've been around for a long time, and this is still one of my most favorite inventions to witness in action. And the improvements I've made... this is the ultimate design."

"So you plan to give this to Zancrow, and then-" Jose said, nearly stuttering as he spoke.

"When the time is right," Edo interrupted, "We will use this machine and witness the slaying of a god."

Back in Fairy Tail…

"It was Phantom Lord." Gohan informed his master, "They attacked Jellal."

"No doubt to send a message to us." Makarov mused, "But I get the feeling more happened."

"I tried to catch the attacker." Gohan replied.

"And?" Makarov questioned.

"I did." Gohan continued, "But I accidentally killed one of them."

Trunks, who was waiting outside the door with Pan, couldn't believe his ears when he heard Gohan's statement.

"So that's why you didn't capture any of them." Makarov remarked, getting a nod from Gohan.

"I figured I'd done enough." Gohan explained.

"And Gray and Juvia?" Makarov asked.

"They weren't injured." Gohan answered, "I was actually about to check on them."

"Please do." Makarov requested. Gohan nodded and closed his eyes.

At Phantom…

Gray was laying on his and Juvia's bed, playing the day's events over in his head while Juvia was in the bathroom. He still couldn't believe how easily Gohan had killed Sol and thrown Aria across the room. He was making a mental noting about angering Gohan when his thoughts were interrupted.

_Gray? _He heard Gohan's voice in his head.

_Gohan! _Gray replied, and the demi-Saiyan could sense the slight fear in the ice mage's thoughts.

_Are you and Juvia alright? _Gohan questioned.

_We're fine. _Gray answered, _But what about Jellal? Was anyone else hurt?_

_No one else was attacked._ Gohan informed him, _And Jellal's being taken care of right now._

_That's good. _Gray remarked.

_I'm sorry I scared you guys. _The Saiyan apologized, _I know things got a little out of hand._

_A little? _Gray questioned, _You evaporated a guy._

_Yeah, I feel pretty bad about that. _Gohan commented, _I just wanted to make sure I didn't hurt you guys._

_We're okay for now, _Gray replied as Juvia walked back into the room, _But there is something I wanted to run by you._

_What's that? _Gohan asked as Juvia stood and watched Gray.

_That Edo guy, _Gray answered, saying it aloud as well for Juvia to hear, _He wants me to talk to him in the morning._

_Really? _Gohan questioned, _I wonder why._

"It can't be anything good." Juvia remarked.

"I agree." Gray replied.

_You agree to what? _Gohan asked.

_Juvia was just saying she's got a bad feeling about the guy. _Gray explained.

_Do you have any idea what he could want? _Gohan questioned.

_Not a clue. _Gray answered. He could tell Gohan was taking a moment to ponder the situation. After a moment, Gohan 'spoke' again.

_Well, I guess there's nothing to do except be careful. _Gohan remarked, _I wish I had better advice for you._

_It's fine. _Gray assured, _Just make sure you're ready to get us out of here as soon as I tell you to._

_Don't worry, I will. _Gohan agreed, _Everyone else is also getting ready to fight, especially since Phantom's down one of its best. I got to go, but I'll be in touch tomorrow morning. Oh, and tell Juvia I'm sorry about what happened._

Gray nodded silently before turning to Juvia.

"Gohan says he's sorry about earlier." Gray told her before falling back onto the bed.

Juvia nodded before questioning, "What did he say about Edo? What does he think?"

"The same thing we do." Gray replied.

"And what about everyone else?" Juvia asked, "Is Jellal alright?"

"He'll be fine." Gray said, "And everyone else is getting ready."

Juvia stood in thought while Gray closed his eyes and thought things over as well. After a moment's silence, Gray broke the trance Juvia had begun to enter.

"Juvia." He said assertively, making her jump nervously.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered as Gray sat up and looked at her.

"Why are you standing there?" He questioned, "You don't have to ask for permission to get in bed every night."

"I know." Juvia replied, slightly trailing off, "But it just still seems strange."

"Just don't think about it." Gray told her. She nodded and hurried around the bed while Gray shook his head, wearing a weak smile as he lay down on top the covers. After a moment, Juvia was in bed and under the sheets. Gray was about to ask if she would be uncomfortable being in bed with all her clothes on, but stopped when he remembered her magic.

"You know, I'm kinda jealous that you can change your clothes with your magic." Gray said as he looked to Juvia.

"Really?" Juvia questioned.

"Yeah." Gray affirmed, "You don't have to carry a change of clothes, and it helps in awkward situations like this one."

"It has." Juvia agreed with a nervous smile, "But I do like to dress normally too."

"How does that work exactly?" Gray questioned, "I mean, your clothes aren't made of water."

"I don't really know." Juvia answered in thought, "I've never thought about it before."

"You might want to." Gray continued, "Because you may be able to learn how to turn other things into water besides your clothes."

Juvia was quiet as she thought over his idea before giggling as a smile formed on her lips.

"What?" Gray asked after glancing at her and seeing her face.

"I was just thinking that it's a good thing you don't have my magic." Juvia answered.

"Oh yeah?" Gray replied with curiosity, "Why?"

"Because with your habit of shedding clothes," Juvia explained, "You'd leave puddles everywhere you go."

Gray let out a chuckle before agreeing, "Yeah, I guess that would be a problem."

The two were quiet for a moment before Juvia spoke up again.

"Gray-sama?" She said tentatively, becoming even more nervous as she noticed Gray had stripped down to his underwear.

"Yeah?" Gray replied, wondering why she was suddenly tense.

"When you said you're here because you wanted to be here," Juvia questioned, trying to keep from running her eyes over his body, "Did that also mean you wanted to be _here_? With Juvia?"

It took Gray a moment to understand her question; but when he did, he understood why she was nervous.

"Oh." Gray said, more surprised that he had not expected the question than by her asking it, "Well…"

Juvia was beginning to fear his answer while Gray was genuinely thinking it over. The time he had been spending with Juvia since the Grand Magic Games had certainly changed his opinion of her, but he had never actually considered what his new opinion of her was. After what seemed like an eternity for Juvia, Gray answered her.

"To be honest," He said, "I don't know."

Juvia looked at Gray in surprise, glad her fears of a firm rejection were unfounded.

"I mean," Gray tried to explain, "It's not that simple. I mean, it is; but I don't think I…"

"I understand." She said to interrupt. It was easy for Juvia to see Gray's internal conflict as he stammered, but it was hard for her to see Gray so confused.

"Forgive me," She added as he looked at her with some surprise, "It was rude and selfish of me to put you on the spot like that."

"I know it isn't fair of me to string you along." Gray said, thankful for Juvia's considerate response, "But I just can't answer you right now."

Juvia was slightly saddened, but was surprised when she felt Gray grab her right arm just above the wrist. Looking up, she was amazed at the serious expression on his face.

"It's nothing about you if you're worried about that, it's just something I'm still dealing with." Gray stated, "But I promise that one day, when I'm ready, I will answer your question."

Juvia nodded, slightly nervous under Gray's strong gaze.

"Besides," Gray said with a friendly smirk after letting her go and laying down, "I don't want to risk losing a good friend anyway."

"Thank you, Gray-sama." Juvia said with a smile, laying down and pulling the sheets back over herself.

"Oh, and Juvia?" Gray added, getting Juvia to turn her head to face him again, "Could you not wear pajamas that have me all over them?"

Juvia went bright red before quickly agreeing. The two said goodnight to each other, thinking about everything they discussed and everything that was to come until they were asleep.

Outside Fairy Tail…

Yamcha and Pu'ar looked over the large building that was in front of them.

"It looks nice." Pu'ar said, with Yamcha nodding in agreement.

"Is that a café in front of it?" Yamcha asked, "And a gift shop?".

"Looks like it." Pu'ar affirmed.

"Gohan's in there." Yamcha stated, "We need to go."

Pu'ar nodded and followed Yamcha down the road. The two walked for a while until there were on the edge of Magnolia.

"I think you should change into something, Pu'ar." Yamcha said as he looked around, "I don't know how people of this world would react to a flying and talking cat."

Pu'ar agreed and quickly changed into a watch that Yamcha put on his left wrist.

"Let's just hope we find some way to pay for food. I'm starting to get hungry." Yamcha stated before continuing his walk into town.

In Fairy Tail…

"What a night." Lisanna said as she sat next to Lucy by the bar.

"Tell me about it." Lucy agreed as she watched Natsu and Happy chowing down next to her, "I can't even believe half the stuff I saw tonight."

"Those fights were something else." Mirajane added as she served Natsu a cup of fire.

"You guys have no clue how fun fighting Goten was." Natsu said between bites, "You should try it sometime."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that." Lucy remarked, with Lisanna giggling in agreement. Charle, who was sitting on the bar between Lisanna and Lucy, also nodded.

"Romeo almost got seriously injured fighting him, and Goten wasn't even trying to hurt him." She pointed out, "It sounds like a death wish, wanting to fight one of those three."

"Seeing Goten and Gohan fight makes me wonder how strong Trunks is." Lisanna added.

"When I heard Trunks, Goten, and Gohan talking," Lucy replied, "They made it sound like Goten was stronger, but only by a little."

"That may be true," Lisanna said, "But I bet Trunks is smarter."

"That's probably because you think he's cute." Mirajane teased, causing Lisanna to light up red and spin to face her sister.

"That is not true!" Lisanna declared, "I just said I liked his hair."

"She's in looove!" Happy chimed in before going back to his fish.

"Come on, guys." Lisanna defended, "He's still just a kid. If he was older, then maybe…"

Trunks, who was still standing outside the data room, was tomato-red as he could hear the entire conversation. He was sure if he heard anymore he might pass out, but the conversation was fortunately interrupted by Gohan and Makarov's entrance.

"Thanks for watching her." Gohan said to Trunks as he picked Pan up and held her with one arm.

"Uh huh." Trunks replied, still trying to get over what he had heard.

"Are you okay, Trunks?" Gohan questioned, "You're face is very red."

"Yeah?" Trunks answered, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Right." Gohan said, slightly skeptical, "Goten and Wendy still haven't come back yet?"

Gohan saw Trunks shake his head and nodded at the younger Saiyan before walking to the bar and sitting next to Lisanna.

"What's the word Gramps?" Natsu asked excitedly, "Are we going to fight Phantom now?"

"Sorry, Natsu." Makarov replied, "But we're still not ready."

"Whaddya mean we're not ready?" Natsu questioned, "We've been ready days ago! Are we just gonna let them keep attacking us?!"

"They attacked us because they want us to fight." Gohan explained.

"So let's give them what they want!" Natsu argued, "With guys like you on our side, there's no way we could lose!"

"That's the issue." Makarov said, "Gohan, Trunks, and Goten will not be going to war with us."

The whole guild hall was momentarily filled with noises of surprise.

"Why not?" Natsu asked, with some of the guild gesturing to show they had the same question.

"Because I need them somewhere else." Makarov replied, "That, and I want Jose to see the strength of our entire guild, not just its three newest members."

"It would be kinda boring if I went and beat them all at once, don't you think?" Gohan chipped in. Natsu couldn't argue with that statement.

"Besides," Gohan added, "I'm sure you guys aren't even going to need us."

"I hope so." Lucy commented, getting a few nods of agreement.

"If it helps, I can remind you that I'm always an instant away." Gohan assured her before teleporting around the room in demonstration, "I'll be there if I'm needed, and so will Trunks and Goten."

After a few more minutes of discussion with the guild, Makarov hopped off the bar and left for his room eager to call it a night. The rest of the guild either left to get some sleep or went back to whatever they were doing before Makarov entered the room. The group by the bar began chatting again as Trunks nervously approached. Unfortunately for him, the first person to see him was Lisanna.

"Hey, Trunks!" She greeted amiably, not noticing the tint of red on Trunks' face.

"Hey." Trunks replied shyly before moving to sit next to Gohan, glad to have someone between him and Lisanna. Before he could sit down; however, Gohan stood up.

"I'm gonna go see if I can find Goten and Wendy." Gohan said, "Maybe I can lend them a hand before I put Pan to bed."

"I'll come with you." Charle said, with Gohan nodding in acknowledgement.

Trunks looked at Gohan as he walked away with Pan and Charle, just in time to see the grin on the older demi-Saiyan's face. Silently cursing Gohan, Trunks nervously sat next to Lisanna.

Walking outside the guild hall, Gohan began searching for Goten's ki. Finding it and using instant transmission, he, Charle, and Pan reappeared directly behind Goten inside Porlyusica's home. Ignoring the startled jumps of Erza, Merudy, and Porlyusica, Gohan greeted everyone before noticing something was off. For some reason, Wendy was now lying in the bed Jellal was in, while Jellal was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Wendy!" Charle shouted in concern, hastily flying to her friend's side.

"What happened to her?" Gohan questioned.

"She got sick from eating my magic." Jellal answered weakly as he tried to stand straight.

"Why'd she do that?" Gohan asked.

"So she could send it back to him." Goten explained as he stood nervously next to the bed, "She said it was our only option."

"It was." Porlyusica added, "But I'll be teaching Wendy and a few others the proper way to reverse the at spell the attacker used."

"That's good, I guess." Gohan replied before turning to Jellal, "I'm glad to see you're on your feet again."

"Barely." Merudy remarked, walking over to the blue-haired wizard and letting him lean against her.

"It's a shame my spell was interrupted." Jellal said with a smirk, "Erza and I would've won if I managed to cast it."

Erza and Merudy shook their heads while Gohan grinned in response.

"Maybe." Gohan replied, "Or maybe I would've dodged it and knocked you out where you stood. I was impressed with your speed though. That really caught me by surprise."

"Need I remind you that someone is trying to sleep here?" Porlyusica stated, gesturing to Wendy, "If you don't need my help, then get out of my house."

Gohan, Erza, Jellal, and Merudy all nodded and began to exit the hut. Almost out the door, Gohan noticed Goten hadn't left with them.

"Goten?" Gohan said to get his brother's attention.

"What?" Goten replied, not pulling his eyes of Wendy.

"I need to talk to you about something important." Gohan informed the younger Son.

"But I don't want to leave." Goten stated.

"She'll be just fine, child; and she'll still be here in the morning." Porlyusica told him.

"I'll be with her too." Charle added, "You should go with Gohan and get some rest. You're probably just as worn out as Wendy."

Reluctantly, Goten agreed and trudged out of the hut with Gohan.

"She'll be fine, Goten." Gohan assured him as they walked through the woods.

"I know." Goten said, "I just feel bad because I helped her get sick."

"If you weren't going to help her, she would've either done it herself or got someone else to help her." Gohan said before shaking his head with a smile and adding, "Videl's the same way."

Goten nodded in acknowledgement before continuing the conversation.

"What did you want to talk about?" Goten asked, "You said it was important?"

"It is." Gohan replied, "Fairy Tail's going up against this Phantom guild very soon to put a stop to whatever they're up to."

"I hope so." Goten remarked, "They hurt Wendy's friend, and then made her get sick. We need to beat them before they hurt anyone else."

"I agree. That's another reason they have to be stopped." Gohan continued, taking notice of the hint of anger in Goten's voice, "But Master Makarov has asked for you, me, and Trunks to stay out of the fight."

"Really?" Goten questioned, slightly surprised, "Why?"

"Because Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail are old rivals, the whole thing's kind of a personal issue for the master." Gohan explained, "He wants to show off the strength of all the wizards in his guild. And since we're not actually wizards, it'd be kinda dishonest to use us in the fight. Combining that with the fact that you, me, and Trunks are so strong we might take Phantom down before anyone else got a chance to show off their skills; it makes sense he'd ask us to stay out of it."

"But that means all our friends will be fighting without us." Goten stated before looking down, "Even Wendy."

"It does." Gohan agreed, "But that doesn't mean we won't be watching to see if they need any help."

"Huh?" Goten replied, slightly confused.

"The master wants us to be a last resort." Gohan elaborated, "If it turns out they actually do need us; you and Trunks will join in the fight."

"What about you?" Goten questioned.

"Someone's gotta watch Pan." Gohan answered with a weak smile, gesturing to the sleeping toddler in his arms, "If you and Trunks are the backup plan, then I guess that makes me extra backup plan. Anyway, I'm not much of a secret weapon considering everything that's happened tonight."

"Yeah." Goten agreed.

"One other thing," Gohan added, "Make sure you tell no one the plan. Master wants to make sure everyone will give it their all when the time comes."

"Okay." Goten replied, not entirely eager to be keeping another secret from his friends. And from Wendy.

"C'mon, bro." Gohan said with a smile as he began floating into the air, "Let's head back to our rooms and get some rest. We all need it."

Goten nodded and quickly followed, launching into the night sky a second after stealing a glance to the healer's hut. Not a second later, a nearby portal sealed itself; its movement barely distinguishable from the motions of the shadows cast by the swaying leaves and branches of the tree it was on.


	19. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Sparks

The next morning…

Gajeel, Pantherlily, Levy, and Videl were travelling down the northern road that led to the capital city from the mountains. Videl led the way, with Gajeel following a few feet behind her while Levy carried Lily and walked beside Gajeel. The surrounding area was mostly flat grassland, and there was not much to look at besides the faint outline of some of the larger buildings in Crocus. The mountain route was obviously not a popular way to reach the capital, so the four had seen no one their entire walk. Their walk was quiet for the most part, since Gajeel was slightly irritated Videl insisted on escorting them. Lily and Levy chatted with each other every now and then, but it was still too early in the morning for extensive conversation.

Up until this point, Gajeel was mostly looking straight ahead; but after a while of seeing nothing but grass, sky, and buildings in the distance, his eyes began to wander. More specifically, they wandered directly in front of him.

_I can't imagine why Gohan would marry her; unless he likes being bossed around all day._ Gajeel mused as he looked over Videl before his gaze began to lower, _He must have a thing for short chicks, and it doesn't hurt that she's got some good looks. I mean, look at that a-_

SMACK!

"Ah!" Gajeel yelled as he put a hand to the right side of his head and looked at Levy, "What the hell was that for?"

"You know why." Levy replied, glaring intensely into his eyes while Lily suppressed his laughter. Videl decided to ignore the outburst, the only sign she knew what had happened was the smirk on her face. It wasn't the first time people have eyed her up. Being a celebrity's daughter and one herself on Earth, that usually came with the territory.

The group continued their trek for a good fifteen minutes before Gajeel felt something was amiss. Stopping suddenly in his place, he began sniffing the air around him.

"What's wrong, Gajeel?" Levy questioned, seeing the troubled look on his face.

"Someone's coming." He replied, pointing to the west, "We're just downwind of them."

"I smell it too." Lily chimed in, "But I can't place the scent. It's definitely human though."

"It's probably just someone else on their way to Crocus." Levy suggested.

"They'd be heading south, but they're not." Gajeel remarked, "I was ignoring it for a while, but their scent's getting stronger."

"They're heading towards us?" Levy asked. Gajeel and Lily nodded.

The group was now looking westward, hoping to get a glimpse of the stranger when he or she would enter the horizon. The next moment, Gajeel and Lily became very confused.

"It's gone." Lily observed, wearing the same intrigued expression as Gajeel.

"Gone?" Levy questioned, also puzzled, "But smells don't disappear like that!"

"We know." Gajeel stated, trying his hardest to reacquire the scent. After a minute or two, he gave up.

"I got nothing." He declared. Lily was about to say the same when Videl spoke up.

"I do." She said. Her companions turned to see her standing in the middle of the road with her eyes closed.

"It's getting closer, and fast." She informed her group.

"How do you-" Gajeel began to question, but stopped when Videl's face suddenly showed surprise.

"It's underneath us!" She shouted. The other three in her group where about to ask her how that was possible when the ground began to shake.

"MOVE!" Videl yelled, diving towards Gajeel and Levy. She successfully wrapped an arm around both of them as a deafening, cracking sound came from under their feet. Almost before they hit the ground, Gajeel and Levy could see a massive pillar of earth erupting from the ground.

"Sorry about that." A young woman's voice said from atop the pillar as the dust began to settle. The four on the ground could hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"I hope I didn't hurt anyone." The voice added with a light laugh. There was a faint accent to her voice that Gajeel was trying to place as he and Videl stood up.

"No, but you could have!" Levy replied as Videl helped her up.

"Relax!" the woman told Levy, "I knew one of you would have good reflexes."

Looking at the pillar for the first time, Videl saw that it towered at least twenty feet high. On top the tower stood a young girl, maybe in her early twenties, with slightly-tanned olive skin and dark brown hair. From the current angle, the group could see that she was wearing only green pants and a bra. Gajeel chuckled.

"What's so funny down there?" the woman questioned.

"Nothing, really." Gajeel answered, "But it's not every day that belly dancers spring from the ground."

"I guess you're the funniest of the group." The girl replied before the pillar she was standing on began returning to the earth. When her feet reached eye level, the group noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes. Despite her lack of footwear, the girl was only slightly shorter than Gajeel.

Looking over her clothes, Gajeel saw that her bra and waist were also studded with a number of shiny white gems that glinted in the light. On both her arms were two silver bracelets, one just above her wrists and the other just past where her arms met her shoulders. Gajeel noted that the gems on her bra formed a radial pattern, getting larger the further they were from the center of her breasts; and that the gems on her waist made three different trails that led to the center of her crotch. To top off the look, her lower pant legs were billowy and slightly transparent, allowing people to see she also had a silver anklet on both legs. Gajeel was now definitely sure she looked like a belly dancer.

"But how do you know what a belly dancer looks like?" She asked Gajeel, "Those kind of girls only exist pretty far east of here."

"I've been around." Gajeel said, suddenly feeling like he was digging his own grave with Levy standing next to him.

"Doubt it." The girl joked before walking up to Gajeel, staring into his eyes with her hazel eyes as she pushed his chin up with her right index finger, "But then again, you do seem like a hardened man. What have you seen while you've 'been around'?"

"Nothing like me." The girl added before Gajeel could answer, removing her hand from his face, "I'm sure of that."

A smaller column of rock sprung from the ground, allowing the girl to lean against it on her right side.

"The name's Cel Rhea." She said before anyone could ask, "That's Cel with a C, not a K, and one L. If you wanna write it down."

As she spoke, the pillar formed an engraving of her name on its front to accompany her speech.

"So what's your name, hard man?" Cel asked, slightly teasingly.

"His name is Gajeel." Levy answered for him, her irritation obvious, "I'm Levy, and this is Lily and Beedel."

"Hello." Rhea replied with a smirk, "Or as people from my hometown would say, 'khaire'."

"Or 'Salve'." Cel added with light laugh, "But I didn't want to sound too condescending."

"What?" Videl replied, slightly puzzled.

"Sorry, that was a joke about my culture." Cel apologized, walking past Gajeel and Videl to stand between the three, "Should have known that would sail over your heads, but I don't get to talk about Mesogeios very often."

"Your hometown?" Levy questioned.

"You must be the smart one of the group." Cel stated with her ever present smirk as she faced Levy, "Probably a bookworm too. I'm sure you'd spell my name right."

"But I'm not so sure this one'd know how to spell." Cel joked, gesturing to Gajeel, "He seems a little too dense for reading and writing."

"This little chat's entertaining and all, but we've got somewhere to be." Gajeel said with more than a little irritation.

"Sounds important." Cel observed, "Meeting someone in Crocus? Is it a date?"

"Something like that." Gajeel answered shortly before turning his back to the group, "C'mon, you three, we're wasting time here."

Levy and Videl were about to follow when Cel spoke up again.

"You probably should get going." She said with a humorous tone, "You wouldn't want to make poor old Porla angry you didn't meet his friend."

"What did you say?" Gajeel asked, suddenly surprised.

"Didn't he tell you who you were meeting?" Cel questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"No." Gajeel answered, "He just told me where to go."

"That's funny." Cel replied, "He told me who I was going to meet."

The four looked at her with even more surprise, wondering where the conversation was heading.

"And Porla didn't say anything about two girls coming with you." Cel continued, "It makes me wonder where they came from."

"Maybe I decided I wanted more company than just a cat." Gajeel said, "Why do you care?"

"No reason in particular." Cel answered, "But I can't help but think you could be hiding something from me."

Too quickly for anyone to react, an earthen hand sprung from behind Levy and ripped her cloak off her to reveal her orange dress. The more concerning issue; however, was the fact that Levy's guild mark was now exposed. Cel Rhea suddenly sank into the road, vanishing from sight.

"Look here," Cel joked, springing up behind Levy, "We've got a fairy in our midst. Care to tell me why you're hanging out with the enemy?"

"They didn't know!" Levy immediately answered, hoping to protect her friends.

"Shut up, you filthy fairy." Cel ordered Levy. In a split second, the skin on Cel's right hand changed to rock before she used it to slap Levy across the forehead, instantly rendering the bluenette unconscious while Lily went sailing into the air.

"Levy!" Videl shouted, shocked at the woman's actions, while Gajeel stared in surprise and Lily recovered in midair before also looking at Levy with a stunned expression.

"So you are friends of hers." Cel observed with a grin.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Gajeel yelled, launching wildly at Cel in an attempt to tackle her. The earth mage instantly sank into the ground, eluding Gajeel's grasp.

"Close!" Cel teased as she sprung up a few feet in front of Gajeel, "Try again, fairy!"

Gajeel was about to charge for her when Lily and Videl zipped in front of him.

"Wait, Gajeel!" Lily told the man, "You're not going to grab her by just rushing at her."

"He's right." Videl added, "You'd just be wasting your energy."

With a crazed laugh, Cel sank into the ground again before popping up between the three.

"Your turn, cat!" She shouted, trying to swat Lily into the ground. Fortunately for the Exceed, Videl was ready this time, quickly catching Cel's arm mid-swing.

"Oh no you don't!" Videl said before instantly regretting grabbing onto her enemy. Almost as quick as she spoke, Videl was forced to bend over as her arm was yanked into the earth until her hand and half her forearm were in the ground.

"It's stuck!" Videl yelled, trying her hardest to pull her arm from the ground. Gajeel was watching Videl struggle when he saw something flying at him with his peripheral vision. He quickly turned to see a massive boulder hurtling towards him, and was attempting to use his Iron Dragon Scales just as the boulder collided with him.

"Gajeel!" Videl yelled before she used her ki to explode the ground around her fist, successfully escaping.

"You got out." Cel observed as she stood on another pillar of earth, "Next time, I'll bury you completely!"

"Good luck with that." Videl retorted, subtly powering up in preparation for the fight, "Lily! Get Levy out of here!"

"Right!" the Exceed replied, hastily flying to the bluenette. He was a few feet from her when Cel popped up directly in front of him.

"Not so fast!" Cel yelled, grabbing Lily when by the tail when he tried to change directions.

Videl was about to come to the Exceed's aid when Lily changed into his fighting form. Now it was Cel's turn to be surprised as Lily reached over his shoulder and grabbed his Musica sword. With one purposeful swipe, Lily sliced Cel's arm in two before launching into the air. Cel yelled in pain before receding into the earth once again. Looking at his tail, Lily saw the half of Cel's arm that was still holding him crumble and fall to the ground before he rushed over to Levy with Videl just behind him.

As they reached the solid script mage, Cel reappeared a few yards from him.

"That hurt!" Cel shouted at the Exceed before grinning, "You're lucky my entire body is made of the earth, or I'd want some revenge."

Videl and Lily were stunned to see Cel's arm growing back as she held it up for them to see. Sand, dirt, and rock could be seen flowing from the ground and along her body before piling up in the shape of her forearm. After a moment, her arm was whole once more.

"I'll admit I underestimated you." Cel stated as she began to slowly walk towards the three, "But round two will be very different."

"Lily," Videl said quietly, "Take Levy and go while I hold her off. Wait for me to attack."

Lily nodded, preparing to fly as fast as he could.

"You may want to reconsider fighting me." Videl warned a still approaching Cel, "You'd be surprised at how strong I am."

"I just may." Cel replied with her ever-present grin, "But I won't know unless we fight. Come at me with everything you got."

"Fine." Videl replied, charging her ki even more, "Just remember that you asked for it."

When Cel had closed half the distance between them, Videl launched at her, preparing to deliver the hardest punch she could manage. Getting his cue, Lily grabbed Levy as firm as he could and rocketed into the sky, heading for Crocus. Just as Lily and Levy were a few feet from the ground, Videl's right fist connected with Cel's arms, which she crossed in front of herself to block the attack. The sound of rock cracking could be heard, and Cel winced at feeling her arms nearly shatter; but she was also smirking at the fact that her arms were still intact. Cel tried to head-butt Videl, but her target was smart enough to jump backwards to safety.

"Not bad." Cel complimented as she repaired her arms again, "That hurt a little."

"There's more where that came from." Videl taunted, now wearing her own grin, "I'm still holding a lot back."

"Really?" Cel questioned, matching Videl's grin, "Well then, we'll have to do something about that."

Videl felt the ground underneath herself shift, and she sprung into the air as earthen ropes swung around where her feet once were. Seeing that the ground was no longer safe, Videl decided levitation was probably the better option.

"You can fly too?" Cel asked, more amused than surprised.

"Yeah, she can; and you will too!" Cel heard coming from behind; and she turned to see an ironclad Gajeel charging right for her, only having enough time to turn to stone before she was struck.

"Iron Dragon's Club!" He yelled before he extended his club shaped arm and landed an upward swing that connected with Cel's jaw, which succeeded in knocking her a few feet into the air.

Just as Cel was lifted headfirst into the air, Videl used her ki to propel herself downward, planting a foot into Cel's back in order to force her into the ground. Videl's attack would have been more effective if Cel hadn't been able to sink into the ground instead of colliding with it. Seeing Cel sink, Videl immediately jumped back, not wanting to be pulled into the ground again.

"Nice attack, Gajeel." Videl complimented before showing him a grin, "But what took you so long?"

"I got stuck under that giant rock." Gajeel answered, "I would have been out quicker if you would have helped."

"Sorry." Videl replied with a chuckle, "I was kind of busy."

"I can tell." Gajeel remarked, "Think you need some help?"

"Not really." Videl said, getting a smirk from Gajeel, "But I won't refuse it either."

"Whatever you say." Gajeel said as Cel reemerged once again, with all three preparing for the intense fight to come.

At Phantom Lord…

Gray was the first to wake up, as usual, rolling out of bed and throwing on some clothes right after. For some reason today, he looked at Juvia while she slept and noticed how happy she looked (probably because she was sleeping next to him). The image brought him some enjoyment, but he immediately suppressed it as he walked out the bedroom door and into the hallway. After a few minutes of walking down stairs and along hallways, Gray finally reached Edo's quarters and knocked when he approached the door.

"Come in." He heard Edo say, and he did exactly as he was bid. To Gray's surprise, the room was painted entirely black; and he found it somewhat disorienting. He found Edo still laying comfortably in bed, playing with his sharp blue nails.

"Sorry for the color scheme." Edo apologized, seeming to sense Gray's discomfort, "But sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me sane around here."

"It's fine." Gray replied as he walked further into the room, "I just haven't seen anything like it before."

"That's what I like about the fairies." Edo said without bothering to look at his guest, "Their open mindedness is incredible."

"Yeah, well, when you see as many weird things as I have," Gray remarked, "Weird tends to become the norm."

"I know exactly what you mean." Edo added as he moved off the bed and stood up.

"You said you wanted to talk to me?" Gray questioned, ready for anything to happen.

"I did." Edo replied, "And I still do. We're just waiting for one other to show up."

"Please don't be so defensive," Edo said after a few moment's silence in reference to Gray's posture, "If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it ages ago."

Gray relaxed slightly, but he still stood next to the door just in case he would have to exit the room in a hurry. Something about Edo still wearing those over-concealing robes made Gray nervous.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the door swung open to reveal a barely conscious Zancrow.

"I know that you have no love for the morning, Master." Zancrow replied as he rubbed his eyes and walked through the door, "But can you at least remember that I do?"

"I do apologize for having you awaken so early." Edo apologized to both wizards, "I know there are much better places we could be right now, like lying in bed next to that beautiful Juvia."

Zancrow smirked, slightly amused; but Gray ignored the remark and let the mystery wizard continue talking.

"And despite how interesting and lengthy our discussions on our preference of bedfellows would probably be," Edo continued, "There's something more important that requires discussion."

"And that is?" Gray asked impatiently.

"The war between this guild and yours." Edo answered.

"This is my guild." Gray replied, but was immediately shut down.

"Cut the crap, snow cone." Zancrow barked, "We know you're spying for your Fairy Master. We know everything."

"Before you argue or attempt to maintain your act," Edo added, "I'd like to point out that we even know Beedel's on your side as well."

Zancrow chuckled before chipping in, "And that's not even her real name."

"If you guys know all this stuff," Gray questioned, not yet ready to admit to them they were right, "Then why haven't you turned me in? Or tried to kill me yourselves?"

"I've been wondering this myself." Zancrow admitted, giving Gray a shrug while looking towards Edo, "Why are we protecting him?"

"Because we want Fairy Tail to defeat Phantom." Edo promptly answered, wearing an intimidating grin as he spoke.

"What?" Both Zancrow and Gray asked in surprise; though Zancrow seemed slightly more confused than Gray.

"Why?" Gray questioned, "I thought Jose Porla was your friend?"

"For a time, he was." Edo explained, "But that old fool has started becoming ever more dangerous to work with. You saw for yourself his poor decision making skills and what it costed him."

"Yeah, but he used YOUR magic to attack Jellal in the first place." Gray replied, "Someone could say that you had as much a hand in that whole mess as he did."

"One could argue that." Edo quipped, "Especially after I'd tell them I left that portal open on purpose. Someone had to be maintaining the spell after all."

"So why leave it open?" Gray asked, "Because you wanted to see what Jose would do?"

"Exactly." Edo answered, "Now can we get past trying to convince you that our interests align?"

"I guess." Gray said.

"Good." Edo continued, "Now, the main thing I had to discuss with you was when Fairy Tail planned to attack."

"You're barking up the wrong tree then." Gray interrupted, "Because I have no clue when Gramps plans to go to war."

"I'm not asking you when it's going to happen." Edo explained, "I'm telling YOU to start the war a week from now."

"And before you ask 'And how exactly am I supposed to do that', I'll tell you." Edo continued to elaborate while Gray tried to forget the terrible impression of himself the dark wizard just performed, "You're going to tell your friend Gohan that Porla plans to burn the entire city of Magnolia, along with Fairy Tail, eight days from now."

"Is that true?" Gray asked while trying to conceal his surprise at Edo's knowing he was in contact with Gohan.

"I never bothered to confirm the plan's existence." Edo answered with a smirk, "But I do know that he's building a weapon that's nearly complete. One that could definitely destroy a city in the blink of an eye, if used improperly. Or correctly, that's a matter of perspective, I guess."

"Another weapon?" Gray questioned, "Didn't he have enough with the Jupiter Cannon and the giant machine that this place really is?"

"He did." Edo stated, "But thanks to his last war with Fairy Tail, he realized the drawbacks of machines that required body-link magic to function. This new weapon not only has its own magical source, but it also strengthens whoever uses it exponentially."

"A moron like Porla doesn't deserve such a weapon." Zancrow chipped in.

"So let's just go destroy it." Gray suggested, making Zancrow burst out in a fit of laughter.

"You idiot!" the Flame God Slayer laughed, "We don't want it destroyed, we want it for ourselves! Heck, we're the ones that are building it!"

"This is true." Edo acknowledged, "While Porla's distracted with his fight with Fairy Tail, we plan to steal this weapon right under his nose."

"I'm not going to help one dark wizard steal a weapon of mass destruction from another." Gray replied; things here were starting to make more sense to him now.

"It's not like you have a choice in the matter." Edo quipped, "If your friends do not attack when I say so, I'll make sure Phantom Lord uses the weapon to wipe Fairy Tail off the map. And since you don't know where this thing is, it's not like you can destroy it yourself."

"Just warn your fairy friends about this weapon." Zancrow ordered, not bothering to let Gray form a response, "And tell your Salamander friend to burn this place to the ground."

"You'll be helping us dark wizards, this is true." Edo added, "But if you agree to doing as we say, we'll help you and your friends out right now."

"How exactly would you help me out?" Gray questioned skeptically.

"For one, we could ensure your guilds safety when they do go to war." Edo answered, "But I'll throw in saving Gajeel's life right now as a bonus."

"Gajeel?" Gray repeated, "What are you talking about?"

Edo chuckled, forming a fiendish grin before speaking.

"Look behind you." Edo said. Gray did as instructed, and he saw that one of Edo's portals was on the wall behind him. What he saw confused him.

"Who's that?" Gray asked, seeing the woman Gajeel and Beedel were fighting.

"Her name is Cel Rhea." Edo answered, "And she is one of the strongest wizards in Fiore."

"Why are they fighting?" Gray questioned as he watched Gajeel dodge a large rock that was launched at him.

"Because Cel isn't the biggest fan of fairies." Edo stated, "And your friend Levy blew Gajeel, Lily, and Videl's cover."

"Levy?" Gray said, now more puzzled than ever, "And who's Videl?"

"That's Beedel's true name." Zancrow answered, "But she's got more secrets than just her name."

"What does that mean?" Gray replied, "And where's Levy or Lily?"

"There's no need to worry about those two." Edo informed the ice mage, "They're safely on their way to Crocus. Your main concern right now should be your friends' fight. Watch."

As Gray turned back to watch, he saw Videl smash Cel to pieces with a single punch, only to see his friends' enemy appear behind Videl. Caught off guard, Videl was unable to avoid the punch that Cel drove directly between her shoulder blades; and she recoiled in pain before taking to the air.

On the other side of the portal…

"That hurt." Videl said as she floated in the sky, buying some time to recover.

"What's wrong?" Cel taunted as she looked up at Videl, "Afraid to come down and fight? Don't worry, I'll come to you!"

As Cel spoke, an entire mountain erupted from the earth with Cel on its summit. Videl quickly flew higher and to the side, trying to keep her distance from Cel.

"Come back here!" Cel demanded, launching a number of rocks at Videl with the speed of a bullet.

As Cel was ascending, climbing higher in elevation the more her mountain grew; Gajeel was rapidly scaling the new land formation, extending his arm and using it to increase the height of his jumps. He reached the top just as Cel was launching her rocks at Videl, and he moved quickly in the hopes of throwing off her aim.

"You may want to deal with me first!" Gajeel yelled, "Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!"

Cel turned at the last second to be hit chest first by Gajeel's iron punch, and she was sent sailing off the quarter-mile-high summit. At the same time, Videl easily dodged Cel's projectile attack. The two convened on the peak of the mountain the next instant.

"I thought I'd kill to see anything but those boring grass fields." Gajeel joked as Videl landed next to him, "But now, I'd do anything to see them again."

"I know what you mean." Videl agreed, "This changing landscape is disorientating."

"You're not going to like this then." The two heard Cel say from somewhere nearby, before the mountain suddenly began to quake. Acting quickly, Videl grabbed Gajeel and flew into the air again, watching with the dragon slayer as the mountain collapsed back into the earth. The two landed on the now stable ground, glad to be at normal elevation again.

The two fighters were not allowed much time for a breather, as rock formations began to spring up around them.

"Oh boy." Videl remarked, watching as a circle of mountains surrounded them.

"What?" the two suddenly heard Cel say from all around them, "Don't like my mountains?"

"This is insane." Videl said. Gajeel nodded in agreement.

"We need to end this quick." Gajeel stated, though not yet entirely sure he knew what to do.

"It sounds like you're beginning to understand the gravity of your situation." Cel's voice boomed, "But you've yet to see the full extent of my magic."

The ground cracked a few feet in front of Gajeel and Videl as Cel emerged once more.

"Your magic is iron, Gajeel; but mine is the earth itself!" Cel stated proudly, "You are no match for me, not even with your traitor Phantom backing you up!"

"We'll see about that." Gajeel replied, "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

Gajeel's spell spiraled towards Cel, but the earth mage made no attempt to dodge it. The only move she made was opening her mouth and inhaling. The next second, Gajeel's attack was entirely eaten.

"What the hell?!" Gajeel shouted, confused and amazed at the same time, "She ate my attack!"

Cel began laughing maniacally as Videl glanced from the stunned Gajeel to her cackling opponent, not sure what was going on.

"You're a Dragon Slayer?!" Gajeel questioned, getting Cel to pause her laughter.

"I'm afraid not." Cel answered, "I'm much more than that. Allow me to reintroduce myself."

"I am Cel Rhea, the Earth God Slayer; and I am your end!"

As she spoke, the ground began to tremble as cracks formed in the earth around the three.

"Earth God Slayer Secret Art," Cel chanted, her eyes glowing with a manic rage, "Titan Form!"

"No way!" Videl yelled as Cel's body began to grow, morphing again into rock as it grew. Cel continued to grow, laughing crazily as she did; and Videl decided to lead Gajeel in a retreat a good fifty yards away.

"YES!" The Titan's voice boomed as she still grew, "RUN FROM MY POWER!"

"Any idea how to fight this?" Gajeel questioned as he and Videl watched the still-growing Titan.

"One or two." Videl answered nervously, "But I don't know if I've got enough energy to take her out."

"It doesn't help that I'm pretty much useless here." Gajeel added, "Anything I throw at her is just going to be eaten!"

"Only if you throw it at her." Videl replied, "But I thought your magic was more for punching than it was for blasting."

"You're right." Gajeel said, "But I don't know how much good punching THAT would do."

"It'll buy me some time." Videl stated, wishing that Gohan were here at the moment. If there were ever a time that she needed him, this was certainly one of those times. She was certain he would have come to investigate if he felt her ki spiking as it had been for the duration of the fight, so she figured he had to still be sleeping.

Looking at Cel, Videl saw the Earth God Slayer was now a veritable force of nature. Her Titan form had to be at least one thousand feet tall.

"What are you going to do?" Gajeel asked, seeing the concentration on Videl's face.

"There's nothing she can do!" Cel yelled before grabbing the top of a nearby mountain with one hand, breaking a two story chunk off.

"Catch this!" The titan barked, hurling the massive rock at the two. Videl quickly reacted, grabbing Gajeel and flying away as fast as she could, moving quickly enough to vanish from Cel's sight.

"You may be fast," Cel argued as she stomped her right foot on the ground, sending tremors that would certainly be felt from miles away, "But you can't escape from the entire earth!"

"We're lucky that one of use is that fast." Gajeel remarked as they stood far away from and behind Cel, "I would have probably been pulverized by that chunk of rock."

"What's wrong?" Cel taunted, "Too scared to fight back? I'll tell you what, I'll let you run off; but then I'm going to destroy Crocus. Maybe I'll step on that blue haired bimbo and your cat while I'm there!"

"There's no chance that husband of yours is going to come to save you is there?" Gajeel questioned, "We could really use him right now."

Videl shook her head before answering, "I could tell he was fighting someone yesterday; and I'm guessing he's still resting from last night."

"Damn." Gajeel whined with a defeated tone, "Well, I don't expect Gildarts to show up anytime soon either; so I guess we're all we got."

Back at Phantom, Gray refused to believe what he was seeing.

"There's no way that someone's magic would let them do all that!" He declared, "This is a trick you're playing on me. This isn't real."

"I assure you, this is no illusion." Edo replied, "Cel was trained to use the power of an Earth God since the day she was born. When she was ten and still learning to use her Titan Form, she accidentally stepped on a neighboring village and was banished from her home. Having nothing left but her magic, Cel trained day and night until I found her a few years ago in a mountain range north of Fiore."

"She's a God Slayer?" Gray questioned, suddenly more than ecstatic that he was not Gajeel.

"That's correct." Edo answered, "And she's also Porla's replacement for Sol in the Element Four."

"But with that kind of power," Gray said, "Fairy Tail wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Maybe." Edo replied, "Gohan might be a match for her. But who wants to risk the havoc that fight would cause on the planet?"

"What are you saying?" Gray asked.

"I'm adding an additional condition to my offer." Edo explained, "Do as Zancrow and I have asked, and I'll make sure Cel never joins Phantom Lord. And I'll still save your friends' lives."

_Gohan, where the hell are you?_ Gray questioned mentally before quickly nodding.

"I'll do it." Gray consented, "Save them."

Edo smiled at Gray before turning to the portal.

"I give you my word I will." Edo said as he stared at the image with Gray and Zancrow, "But there's still one thing I want to see."

Gray didn't like the look on Edo's face, nor did he like the tone the man used; but he also knew the only thing he could do at the moment was watch and wait.

From Gajeel's perspective, the fight was pretty much over already. He knew he had a decent amount of magic left, but it wasn't enough to defeat the Titan, especially if she simply decided to eat his magic. But at this point, Gajeel was more worried she might just eat him. He was running through a list of attacks he could use, but he knew nothing he had could bring Cel down. Hoping Videl had some trick up her sleeve, he turned to see her staring at the Titan in thought.

"We have to do something." He said to Videl, "She's about to start heading for the city."

As if on cue, Cel spoke once again.

"I guess you've given up and run for your lives." Cel mused as she turned to face the capital city, "A smart choice, but I am a woman of my word after all. Say goodbye to the capital of Fiore!"

"Now's our chance." Videl said suddenly standing up, "Gajeel, I don't care how you do it; but I need you to get alongside her. And then, on my signal, give her the strongest attack you've got."

Gajeel nodded before asking, "What are you going to do?"

"Gohan's family has an attack that might help here." Videl explained, "I've never used it before, but I think I know how. I am a Son, after all."

"This 'signature attack' powerful enough to beat that?" Gajeel questioned, gesturing to Cel, who was now marching for Crocus.

"If I put enough into it." Videl answered, "But I'll only get one shot, and we can't afford to let her block it."

Gajeel nodded before feeling the air around Videl get blown away as she charged her energy, seeing a blue aura of light surround her. For the first time since Cel had changed into her Titan Form, Gajeel believed they still had a chance. Running off as fast as he could, he just hoped his attack would be enough to give Videl the opening she needed.

Feeling her ki charged to its maximum, Videl flew to the peak of the mountain closest to Cel before closing her eyes in focus.

Cupping her hands in front of her, right over left, Videl began the signature Son attack, suddenly sure she was capable of firing it.

"KA…" She chanted, feeling the power of her ki being channeled between her hands as she brought them to her side.

"ME…" A blue light began to glow through the gaps between her fingers.

"HA…" Despite the entire situation she was facing, Videl's thoughts traveled to Gohan and Pan. This attack had to work if she was going to see them again. She would die before she let Cel destroy that city, after all.

"ME…" Videl wasn't sure why, but she felt like Pan and Gohan were with her at the moment. She thought it might have been because she was using her husband's attack, but she also knew it was a stronger connection than that. As she came to this conclusion, the blue light between her hands took on a purplish hue, now more indigo than blue. Seeing the energy change color bolstered her confidence, this blast was not the ordinary Kame school signature attack; this one was hers.

Cel glanced back, thinking she heard someone yelling when she was suddenly surprised to see the light shining from one of the mountains.

"So you didn't fly away after all?" the Titan remarked, now turning around and heading for Videl, "Do you plan on blinding me with a pretty light show?"

"No way, block head!" Gajeel suddenly yelled out, running towards Cel's left foot, "I plan on blinding you with pain!"

"Karma Demon:" Gajeel called out as he launched himself as high as he could into the air, "IRON SPIRAL!"

Gajeel's feet changed, taking the form of a spinning drill before colliding the tip of his attack into Cel's leg, boring into the rock.

"AGH!" the Titan boomed as she felt Gajeel digging into her leg. She brought a hand down in an attempt to smash Gajeel between her leg and palm, but Gajeel suddenly gave up his attack and leapt as far from her as he could.

"Too slow, crater face!" Gajeel taunted, now running away with every ounce of strength he had left.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Cel yelled, about to attempt stepping on him when she heard Videl yelling.

"HAAAA!" Videl screamed, throwing her hands in front of her and releasing the strongest attack she's ever used in her entire life.

The Titan turned to see a massive and blinding indigo-colored stream of light racing for her, but was not quick enough to put a hand in front of it. The Kamehameha struck Cel directly in the forehead, and the Titan screamed as the resulting explosion blinded anyone that happened to be looking in its direction. Even the citizens in Crocus that were trying to figure out what was happening outside their city had to shield their eyes from the intense light.

When the light faded, the dust settled, and smoke cleared, Videl could see that her attack had decimated the Titan's head; and the rest of its body was now crumbling to the ground. Videl fell to her knees, her energy was fully spent; and she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand.

"We did it." Videl said weakly, though happily, as she watched the Titan fall apart. A couple hundred yards away, Gajeel fell back in exhaustion and stared up at the bright blue sky above.

"I'll be damned." Gajeel said between heavy breaths, "That actually worked."

At Phantom, Gray looked on in stunned awe at what he had just witnessed.

"Turns out they didn't need saving after all. So much for that bonus." Edo remarked, but Gray noticed Edo's voice had a different tone; it sounded strained. He couldn't see that Edo was casting another spell, so he assumed that holding the portal open was getting tiring for the dark wizard.

"Your guild is not out of the woods yet, my friend." Edo informed Gray, closing his portal with a shrug, "There are others out there with powers similar to Cel's in strength. If you don't comply with my wishes, I will simply bring them all to become Porla's allies."

"I got the memo already." Gray replied, walking out the room, "I've been getting pretty tired of this whole charade anyway."

_Juvia's not going to believe me when I tell her what I just watched._ Gray thought as he walked back to his room, _Hell, I still don't believe it._

Outside Crocus, a few rocks began shifting in the center of the Titan's corpse before whatever was moving them suddenly disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

"What is this?" Cel wondered aloud as she looked around. She could see nothing but the darkness that engulfed her.

"Hello?" she called out, starting to worry.

"Hello." A familiar voice said. Cel turned to see a shadow of a man standing behind her.

"Who are you?" Cel questioned, "I can't see anything in here. And where am I?"

"You don't recognize your own friend?" The man replied, feigning a wounded voice.

"I can't see." Cel responded.

"I'm sorry." The man apologized, "Sometimes I forget that others can't see in the dark like I can."

"Where are we?" Cel questioned, still trying to place the voice, "How did I get here?"

"I brought you here." The man answered, "This is my home."

"Your home?" Cel repeated.

"That is correct." The man affirmed, "I call it 'The Shadow of the World', and I come here when I want to think."

"I'd pretend I like your home," Cel remarked, "But I still can't see anything to be fake-impressed by."

"I do love your sense of humor." The man said, "It's one of the main reasons I wanted you to join Phantom Lord. That fool Porla has no sense of humor at all. It really is quiet dull over there."

"Ed?" Cel questioned, "Is that you?"

In response, a blue flame sparked between herself and the man, revealing the blue and black haired dark wizard.

"Wow." Cel said as she examined the man, "You look younger."

"And more handsome?" Edo-Acnologia questioned with a smirk.

"Sure." Cel answered sarcastically, not wanting to inflate his ego.

"I just witnessed your fight with those Fairies." Edo informed her, "It was very impressive. The poor Fairy that was watching it with me couldn't believe his eyes. Neither did Zancrow."

"I'm glad to know I had an audience." Cel replied with her own grin, "I just wished the audience wouldn't stop the show midway. Those two probably think they've killed me."

"Let them." Edo remarked, "It's better that they think one of their most dangerous enemies has been eliminated."

"Ed, was that a compliment?" Cel teased, "That makeover didn't make just your skin softer, did it?"

"The makeover doesn't make me act nicer." Edo remarked, "Your stunning good looks does that."

"You must really want something from me." Cel half-joked with a smirk, "Does it involve this new little 'game' you've been playing?"

"You know me too well, my dear." Edo replied, matching her smirk.

"So what is it?" Cel asked, "I'm already joining Phantom like you asked me too."

"That's actually it." Edo answered, "I'm cutting all ties with Phantom Lord."

"Oh, really?" Cel said, slightly intrigued, "Why now? Is your weapon completed then?"

"Almost." Edo explained, "But that old fool Porla's beginning to annoy me, and his obsession with Fairy Tail is making it harder for anyone to work with him, more dangerous too."

"You're not afraid of Fairy Tail, are you?" Cel questioned teasingly.

"Not while I'm a step ahead." Edo answered honestly, "But we're looking at having to take on the entire guild on our own now. I don't plan on fighting a god and all his friends without a fallback plan."

"You're too smart for your own good." Cel replied, "With your attention to detail, I'd almost say you're obsessive."

"I am obsessed." Edo quipped, "It's been ages since I've had to fight for my life; but I don't plan on losing it while I have such great company as yours."

"And don't forget, that attention to detail saved you from a psychotic dragon's boredom." Edo added before Cel could joke about his flirting.

"How could I forget?" Cel replied, turning away from him before adding with a chuckle, "You're my knight in gloomy armor."

"So then, my damsel in distress," Edo questioned, "What do you say about joining me in taking on the world?"

"I say you talk too much." Cel stated before turning back to him, "Tell me what to do."


	20. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Tinder

Gohan woke up with a start before quickly sitting up and eyeing over his room. Wiping the sweat off his forehead with his left arm, he took deep breathes as he calmed himself down before noticing that Pan was squeezing his right arm with both her hands.

"Are you okay, Papa?" He heard his daughter ask, and he looked at Pan to see the worry on her face.

"Yeah." He answered reassuringly, "It was just a bad dream."

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" Gohan asked. Pan nodded.

"I'm sorry." He apologized before looking out the window.

"If you want," Pan stated, "I can tell you my dream. It was really fun."

"Oh yeah?" Gohan replied, giving his daughter a smile, "What was it about?"

"I had keys like Lu-chan." Pan told her father.

"You did?" Gohan asked, "Did you have spirits like Lucy too?"

Pan shook her head in response.

"They were all cats like Happy-kun." She explained, "But different colors.".

"I think Lucy would call that a nightmare." Gohan joked before questioning, "How many 'spirits' did you have?"

Pan continued to tell her father about the multiple cats in her dream until they heard a knock on the door. Gohan quickly got out of bed and opened the door to see a fully awake and dressed Trunks.

"Good morning." Gohan greeted before offering to let the younger demi-Saiyan inside.

"Hi Trunks!" Pan greeted cheerily as the boy followed her father into the room.

"Hey." Trunks replied.

"Is Goten still asleep?" Gohan questioned, not bothering to use his ki sense as he moved around the room to search for some clean clothes.

"I don't know if he ever did." Trunks answered, standing next to the door.

"I'm not surprised." Gohan remarked, finding a clean set of his blue gi, "He wasn't too happy about everything that happened last night."

"I bet." Trunks agreed.

"Do you wanna hear about the dream I had?" Pan asked.

"Maybe later." Trunks answered her, "I'm about to run over to Fairy Tail and grab some food before finding a place to train. It's already later than I usually start."

"We're about to do the same." Gohan stated as he looked at the clock on his bedside table, "I've just got to get a shower first."

"You don't think you could help me train do you?" Trunks questioned.

"I don't know anything about using a sword." Gohan answered, "The only one I did practice with broke before I could do anything with it."

"I don't need coaching or anything like that." Trunks explained, "Erza already told me what I need to work on."

"So you just need a fast-moving opponent?" Gohan asked.

"Basically." Trunks answered with a shrug.

"Well, I can work with you for a little while." Gohan stated, "But I need-"

The older demi-Saiyan had gone quiet, and a look of concern came over his face.

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked as Gohan began hurriedly putting on his dogi.

"I don't know, but it's not good." Gohan answered hurriedly as he finished dressing, "Take Pan with you, and I'll see you when I get back."

"Wait!" Trunks requested, now concerned as well, "What's up?!"

Gohan did not waste time explaining, using instant transmission as he disappeared. Trunks and Pan both blinked in confusion at Gohan's sudden departure before Trunks began to use his ki sense to see where his friend went. It did not take him long to find Gohan was near Videl. And judging by how drastically weak Videl's ki was, Trunks could tell something was definitely wrong.

"Where'd Papa go?" Pan asked Trunks.

"I don't know." Trunks lied, not wanting to worry the little girl too much, "I can't find his energy."

"But I wanna get breakfast with Papa…" Pan complained, "And I was still telling him about my favorite cat from my dream…"

"I'm sure he'll be back soon." Trunks assured the tiny Saiyan. Pan nodded, but Trunks could not help but notice she had not seemed to totally believe him. It did not take long for Trunks to become uncomfortable with the nervous silence.

"Hey," He said to the little girl, "Let's go get something to eat. I bet you're as hungry as I am right now."

"No." Pan said sternly, "I want to eat with Papa."

"I know." Trunks replied with a sigh, "But he said he'd meet up with us when he came back right? If we're getting food, then he'll show up to get food with us."

Pan looked at Trunks apprehensively as she thought over his statement. He was about to try convincing her more when she nodded reluctantly.

"Come on." Trunks said before grabbing the girl and putting her on his shoulders, "I just need to get my sword, and then we'll head for Fairy Tail."

Just outside of Crocus…

Gohan appeared above what appeared to be the aftermath of a natural disaster of some kind. Looking around, he could see nothing but broken rock and crumbling mountains.

_That's weird. _Gohan thought as he searched the rocks, _I didn't think the mountains north of here rancame this far south._

"Gohan!" He heard from behind and below. He turned around to see Videl slowly walking towards him.

"Videl!" Gohan called back, instantly flying to her and catching her as she collapsed under her own weight.

"Glad you could make it." Videl joked as Gohan helped her stand and let her lean on him.

"Are you okay?" Gohan questioned, ignoring the comment for now.

"I'm fine." Videl answered, "Just very tired. And a little sore."

"What happened?" Gohan asked, looking over the mysterious rocks.

"We were attacked by a Phantom Lord recruit." Videl said, "And she was very strong."

"I can tell." Gohan remarked before adding, "You said 'we'?"

"Yeah." Videl explained, "Me, Gajeel, Levy, and Lily."

"They're here?" Gohan inquired, starting to use his ki sense again.

"Gajeel is here somewhere." Videl answered, "Levy got hurt, and Lily took her to safety."

"That's good, I guess." Gohan said just as he found Gajeel's energy.

"I gotta put you down for a second." Gohan told his wife, who nodded before he gently helped her sit in the grass. Moving quickly, Gohan ran to the ridiculously large pile of rocks and jumped to the top. He hopped around until he felt he was above Gajeel, where he began an excavation. After a minute or two, Gohan had cleared enough rocks to see the head of an Iron Scaled Gajeel.

"It's about time you showed up!" Gajeel complained as he tried shoving the boulder he was stuck under off himself.

"Sorry." Gohan apologized before lifting more rocks and tossing them aside. After another moment, Gohan lifted the bottom boulder off Gajeel and casted it aside as well before extending a hand to Gajeel. Gajeel was also unable to walk under his own power at the moment, so Gohan had to help him out and off the rubble. Letting Gajeel sit next to Videl, Gohan looked back at the wreckage.

"I'm guessing your woman's told you what happened?" Gajeel asked, smirking when he saw Gohan's surprise at his knowledge, "Yeah, she told us what's up."

"I'm just glad you guys are okay." Gohan replied.

"We wouldn't have been if your wife hadn't stolen one of your best moves." Gajeel remarked.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, turning to Videl.

"I used the Kamehameha." Videl explained, "I put everything I had into it too."

"I can see that." Gohan agreed; impressed, but not surprised, that Videl had known how to use the ki attack.

"So the Phantom recruit that attacked you guys," Gohan questioned, "Who was it?"

"This chick named Cel." Gajeel answered, "She said she was an Earth God Slayer."

"Earth God Slayer?" Gohan repeated.

"Yeah." Gajeel added, "It's a kind of magic meant for taking out gods."

"I got that part." Gohan replied, "I just think it's weird. This is the second God Slayer that's got some connection to Phantom Lord."

"You're talking about Zancrow, aren't you?" Videl questioned.

"I am." Gohan affirmed, "I met him last night."

"What?!" Gajeel and Videl both said in surprise.

"Yeah." Gohan informed them, "One of Phantom's members attacked us last night, and I followed him back to the headquarters. I accidentally killed one of them too."

Gajeel looked apprehensively at Gohan while Videl looked at him with sympathy.

"Do you know which one it was?" Gajeel asked, "The guy you took out?"

Gohan shook his head, "I didn't think to ask Gray. He and Juvia were there."

"They aren't being attacked either are they?" Videl questioned, and Gohan realized she had raised a very good question.

"I don't know." Gohan answered honestly, "Let me see."

At Phantom Lord…

Gray was pacing back and forth in his and Juvia's room, wondering how much longer he'd have to wait until Gohan checked in with him. He was about to give up and flop on the bed next to Juvia when he finally heard what he'd been waiting for.

_Gray! Can you hear me?_ He heard as Gohan's thoughts popped into his head, _Are you and Juvia okay?_

_We're fine._ Gray answered.

_That's great! _Gohan replied, slightly cheerful, _I'm with Gajeel right now._

_I was just about to ask if you saw what happened. _Gray told him.

_The fight was over when I got here. _Gohan explained, _But the northern road to Crocus is pretty messed up right now._

_No kidding. _Gray remarked, _Edo let me watch the whole show._

_Edo? _Gohan questioned before remembering the dark wizard, _Oh yeah, how did that go?_

_It's complicated. _Gray answered.

_How? _Gohan asked.

The next few minutes went by as Gray explained the situation at Phantom to Gohan while Gohan told Gray what took place outside Crocus.

_So basically, Fairy Tail has to go to war with Phantom next week. _Gray said to end the discussion, _I don't like it, but I don't think we have much of a choice._

_Maybe,_ Gohan agreed before adding, _But right now, I've got to get Gajeel and Videl out of here._

_So that IS her real name? _Gray questioned, _How do_ _you know her?_

_I'll explain that later. _Gohan answered, _When I'm done helping them, do you want me to get you and Juvia out of there?_

_No._ Gray said, _Our sudden disappearance might tip them off, and we want to catch Phantom by surprise._

_You're probably right. _The demi-Saiyan agreed before asking, _One more thing, the guy I killed last night, what was his name?_

_That was Sol._ The ice mage answered, _But I wouldn't stress out too badly about what happened to him, he kinda had it coming._

_Thanks, _Gohan replied, _You two just be careful, and I'll check in later._

With that, Gohan opened his eyes to look at Gajeel and Videl again.

"I hope things are going better at Phantom than they are here." Gajeel half-joked.

"They're fine." Gohan informed the two.

"Well, that's good." Videl said weakly.

"Can you guys walk?" Gohan questioned, seeing the two seemed still fatigued.

"No problem." Gajeel boasted, successfully standing on his own; yet struggling to do so more than he was willing to admit.

"Yeah." Videl replied as she accepted a helping hand from Gohan to stand up, "I got some of my energy back."

"Okay then." Gohan said, "Let's go find Levy and Lily and then head on home."

At Fairy Tail…

Trunks sat next to Pan by the bar as he ate his large plate of scrambled eggs Lisanna had cooked for him.

"How do you like them?" the takeover mage questioned from behind the bar, "I know I'm not as good a cook as Mira, but I hope I did okay."

"They're great." Trunks told her between mouthfuls, "Really."

Lisanna replied with a smile before looking to the little girl, "It looks like you're missing out, Pan."

Pan replied by crossing her arms and looking away from the two.

"She's not going to eat anything until Gohan gets here." Trunks explained as he finished his plate.

"Where did he go?" Lisanna questioned.

"I don't know." Trunks lied, hoping Lisanna caught his gesture towards Pan, "He's hiding his energy right now."

"I see." Lisanna replied, nodding to Trunks in understanding, "Well, I'm sure he won't be gone for long."

"That's what I said." Trunks agreed. He picked up his cup of water and began to drink when Lisanna spoke again.

"Hey, Trunks," She said, her voice lower than usual, "That gold haired transformation, that's a Saiyan thing right?

Trunks almost choked on his drink as soon as she said "Saiyan".

"How do you know about Saiyans?" Trunks questioned as he nervously put his cup down.

"Gohan told me." Lisanna explained, "Well, showed me, really."

She pointed to the side of her head to further convey what she meant.

"Oh." Trunks replied as he understood, "When?"

"After his fight with Natsu and Gajeel." She informed him before adding with a smirk, "While you were passed out."

"Right." Trunks mumbled as he looked at the floor and shrunk in his seat, "Sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize, Trunks." She assured him, "I certainly wasn't offended."

"Thanks, I guess." Trunks mumbled before looking at her to see she was looking away now. He also could not help but notice her face seemed to have a slightly reddish tint.

"So, about the transformation…" Lisanna said to break the silence, looking back at him.

"Oh, yeah." The demi-Saiyan replied, realizing he nearly forgot her question, "It is a Saiyan thing. It's called Super Saiyan."

"How does it work?" The mage questioned.

"I don't entirely know." Trunks answered honestly, "It's just something Saiyans know how to do, I guess. All I know is that it makes me crazy strong."

"Is it hard to learn?" She asked. Trunks shrugged.

"It wasn't too hard." He replied, "I knew how to reach Super Saiyan 2 before I was twelve."

"Is that what the long haired form is?" She wondered, "The one Goten had?"

"No." Trunks informed her, sounding slightly depressed, "That's Super Saiyan 3, and it's a lot harder to learn."

"That must be why you were surprised to see Goten using it." Lisanna concluded, "Can you become a Super Saiyan 3?"

"Not yet." He stated, "But Goten found a shortcut for learning it."

"So you do know how to transform into it?" She remarked.

"Kinda." He told her, "But you saw what happened to Goten when he used it. All Super Saiyan forms drain your energy; and because 3 is way stronger, it drains the fastest."

"So if you're not ready to use it and try to," Lisanna connected, "You could really hurt yourself, right?"

"Or worse." Trunks responded grimly before taking another sip of water, "But-"

Trunks was interrupted as Gohan suddenly appeared behind him with Gajeel, who was carrying an exhausted Lily and an unconscious Levy.

The Iron Dragon Slayer ignored the looks and noises of confusion from the guild as he hurriedly brought Levy and Lily into the recovery room. While Gajeel took care of those two, Gohan approached Lisanna, Trunks, and Pan.

"Have you guys seen Master Makarov?" He questioned.

"I think he went by Miss Porlyusica's." Lisanna quickly answered, "What happened to Levy?"

"She got hurt in a fight, I'll explain later." Gohan replied, "But I need to see the Master as soon as possible."

"Wait." Trunks suddenly said before Gohan could teleport away, "I'll go get him. Pan said she's not going to eat unless you're here."

Gohan looked to his daughter apprehensively.

"She's not the only one that needs to eat, you know." Lisanna added, "You look pretty worn out yourself."

"You're right." Gohan gave in as Trunks gave up his seat, "But please hurry over here."

Trunks nodded before grabbing his sword and sprinting out the guild hall.

At Trunks' destination…

Goten sat on the edge of the bed by Wendy's feet as they talked with Porlyusica, Makarov, Charle. Wendy had just finished eating the breakfast Goten had brought with him.

"Did you like it?" Goten asked. Wendy nodded.

"It was really good." She said, "But you didn't have to spend your money. Miss Porlyusica was going to make some soup for us."

Porlyusica nodded her agreement.

"I know." Goten replied, "But I wanted to help you get better somehow."

"The sentiment's appreciated," Charle told him, "But knowing your appetite, you need the money more than Wendy does."

"Gohan has told me about your family's legendary love for food." Makarov agreed, "It must have been an effort to eat as little as you have."

"The master's right." Charle added, "You're probably starving right now."

"I'm not." Goten lied, but his stomach growled in defiance. Charle and Makarov shook their heads in response to his stubbornness while Wendy gave Goten a warm smile. Porlyusica was now pretending to ignore the conversation as she began needlessly taking stock of the potions she had.

"You need to eat too, Goten." Wendy stated.

"I will later, when-." Goten began to reply, but stopped when he noticed Trunks was rushing over.

"Goten?" Wendy said, noticing his change in expression. Without responding to Wendy, Goten hopped off the bed and opened the door just as Trunks was landing in front the house. The lavender haired boy ran into the house.

"Gajeel, Lily, and Levy were attacked." Trunks said between pants, "Levy's hurt really bad."

"Levy?" Makarov questioned in slight confusion while Wendy instantly tried to spring out of bed, though she was stopped by Porlyusica almost instantly.

"You do not need to be tending to others right now, child." Porlyusica reminded her, "I'll go."

Wendy reluctantly nodded, sitting back down on the bed.

"Who attacked them?" Makarov asked.

"I don't know." Trunks answered, "But Gohan says he needs to see you, Master. They're all at the guild right now."

Makarov nodded before quickly leading the way out the house, leaving only Wendy, Charle, and Goten inside.

"Do you think Levy is a victim of another attack from Phantom Lord?" Charle questioned worriedly.

"I'm really starting to not like hearing that name." Goten remarked. Charle nodded in agreement.

"I hope Levy's going to be alright." Wendy added, "I don't like not being able to help."

"I wonder where those three were when they got attacked." Charle stated, "It's been days since anyone had heard from them."

"Maybe they were training." Wendy replied, "Gray and Juvia are probably doing the same somewhere else."

The conversation was cut short when Goten's stomach rumbled again, louder than the first time.

"You really must be hungry, child." Charle remarked when Wendy moved to get out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Charle questioned her, "You were told you still needed to rest."

Goten nodded his agreement with Charle.

"I'm not going anywhere." Wendy answered, "I'm just making that soup Miss Porlyusica was going to make."

"Are you sure that is wise, child?" Charle asked, "You know how she is about having guests in her house already."

"She won't mind." Wendy replied, gathering the ingredients that Porlyusica had left laying out, "And if she does, I'll make it up to her. But if Goten isn't leaving until I do; and I'm not allowed to go anywhere, then I'm making this soup. And we'll leave some soup for Miss Porlyusica too."

Sensing she was fighting an uphill battle, Charle gave up and sat on the bed.

"I'll help." Goten volunteered, getting up and walking to her. Wendy allowed it and began telling Goten what to do.

At Phantom Lord…

Gray and Juvia were currently standing in what was left of the throne room that Gohan had demolished. At the moment, they were currently convening with Jose, Edo, and Zancrow. The Phantom Master had called them together to discuss the current situation and to evaluate their options. Unfortunately for Porla, he was receiving nothing but bad news this morning.

"I regret to inform you, Master Porla," Edo had stated, "That your newest recruit, Cel Rhea, has fallen."

"How?" Porla demanded, clearly irritated.

"It was an odd turn of events, you see." Edo began his lie, "Gajeel and his feline friend ran into Beedel, who had captured a member of Fairy Tail that was following the two. They planned to bring the Fairy back with Cel; but when she saw the four, she assumed they were all enemies because they had not killed their prisoner. A fight ensued, and Gajeel and Beedel eliminated her."

Gritting his teeth angrily, Jose paced in front of his company.

"The fools!" He shouted, "When those three return with that filthy Fairy, I want them punished severely!"

"For defending themselves?" Gray replied, "Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, Master; but it doesn't sound like this Cel chick gave them many options."

"I'm afraid I must agree with our young ice wizard." Edo added, "Perhaps if you had told Gajeel who he was dealing with, he might have handled the situation in an entirely different manner."

"I blame you for this." Jose argued, pointing a finger directly at the hooded wizard, "You refused to bring her here yourself, and now look at what's happened!"

"That is entirely false. Neither one of us ever thought to use my magic." Edo defended, "Besides, I've been working tirelessly on this weapon you so desperately desire. I don't have time to watch over all of your underlings."

"But you were watching them!" Jose argued, "Why didn't you stop them from fighting?!"

"Because it was a chance to evaluate their strengths." Edo explained, "You yourself said you would accept nothing but the best, and Miss Rhea proved that she was not."

"Fine, I see your point! But with Sol gone and Aria barely alive, your weapon must be finished within the week." Porla ordered, ending the discussion, "Leave me to my thoughts. We've got plenty of rebuilding to do."

At Fairy Tail…

Happy had just arrived at the guild hall, expecting to be greeted by the usual commotion; but instead he found the place was eerily quiet. Looking around the hall, he noticed that many of the guild were staring towards the door of the recovery room. Wondering what was going on, he quickly flew to the bar and met Gohan, Pan, and Lisanna.

"Hey, Happy." Lisanna greeted, slightly less cheerful than usual.

"Hey, guys." He replied as he hovered next to Gohan's right shoulder, "Why's everyone so quiet?"

"Gajeel, Levy, and Lily were attacked." The takeover mage explained, "And Levy was pretty badly hurt."

"No way!" Happy shouted, "Who attacked them?"

"A recruit for Phantom Lord." Gohan answered, "That's what Gajeel told me anyway."

"I gotta tell Natsu!" Happy declared before flying out the hall. Gohan and Lisanna watched the Exceed exit before Gohan looked back at his plate of eggs.

"I guess the guild's not going to be quiet for much longer." Gohan remarked as he picked up his fork.

In the forest nearby…

"Natsu! Lucy!" Happy called out as he rocketed through the trees, trying to remember where the two were training at.

"Over here, Happy!" He heard Lucy respond, and he quickly followed her voice. When he finally reached them, he saw Natsu was doing some push-ups while Lucy was sitting next to him and reading.

"What's up, little buddy?" Natsu asked as he continued exercising, "You came back pretty fast. Did you need more money for the food or something?"

"He probably forgot about our breakfast entirely and spent the Jewel on fish." Lucy remarked.

"No, guys!" Happy informed them, "It's Levy!"

"What about Levy?" Lucy questioned, looking at Happy with concern.

"She's been hurt!" The feline quickly explained, "Her and Gajeel got attacked by Phantom Lord!"

"WHAT?!" The two wizards shouted in surprise as they both jumped to their feet. Happy nodded energetically.

"What happened?!" Lucy demanded, grabbing the Exceed around his sides as Natsu joined her in questioning him.

"I didn't stay to ask!" Happy squeaked, surprised at how strong Lucy was squeezing him, "I came here as soon as I heard the news!"

"Well then, let's go find out!" Natsu declared before sprinting for the guild hall.

"Wait up!" Lucy called out, dropping Happy and letting him fall to the ground as she followed the fire mage.

A couple minutes later, Natsu kicked open the doors to the guild hall with Lucy and Happy just behind him.

"Where's Gramps?!" He demanded loudly, and he saw as a few of his guildmates pointed timidly towards the recovery room. Before he could storm into the room, Makarov emerged from it with Gohan, Trunks, Gajeel, and Lily in tow. Lucy quickly ran past the group and entered the room, ignoring the commotion Natsu was beginning to cause.

"Happy said Levy was attacked by Phantom." Natsu stated angrily, "Is it true?"

"Calm down, Natsu." Gohan told the fire wizard.

"To hell with calm!" The Salamander replied, "This is the third time they've attacked us, and all we've done is just sit here!"

"No one is sitting around, Natsu." The demi-Saiyan stated, "We're-"

"How many of us have to get hurt before we do something?!" The fire mage interrupted.

"Would you just shut up already?" Gajeel suddenly chipped in, "You're giving me a headache."

"Why don't you make me?!" Natsu argued, quickly getting in the Iron Dragon Slayer's face.

"Oh, I'm about to." Gajeel remarked, shoving his forehead against Natsu's.

The two would have continued arguing if Erza had not announced her and Mirajane's presence by grabbing them by their necks and slamming their faces together. The two dragon slayers slumped to the floor as Erza walked past them.

"Good morning, Master." Mirajane greeted cheerily, seemingly ignoring what just happened.

"Good morning." Makarov said to the two as they approached, "Any news from our friends in Crime Sorciere, Erza?"

"There is, Master." She answered, "Jellal says he needs to speak with you and Gohan."

"I can go get them if you want." Gohan volunteered.

"It can wait." The Master stated, "You've got more pressing matters to attend to after all. Erza, tell Jellal I'll be speaking with the guild about Phantom tonight, just after dinner. There's a new development that's made me change my opinion on the issue."

"Yes, Master." Erza quickly replied before turning to leave.

"Hey, Erza!" Trunks called out.

"Yes?" She asked, turning back around to face him.

"Can I come with you?" He questioned, "I was hoping you could help me train a little more."

The Knight considered her response before nodding and heading for the door. Trunks was about to follow her when Gohan piped up.

"Hey, Trunks, can you take Pan with you?" He asked politely.

"Lisanna can watch her." Mirajane stated, "She's going with Trunks anyway."

"I am?" Lisanna questioned.

"You said you want to see Trunks fight, didn't you?" The older Strauss replied. Trunks stared at the floor to hide his reddening face.

"I did," Lisanna conceded, "But I thought you'd want my help here."

"I'll be okay." Mirajane stated, "But Trunks can't fight Erza and babysit at the same time, can he?"

"Erza and Trunks are going to fight?" Natsu questioned, suddenly waking up, "Where?"

"Are you coming or not?" Erza suddenly demanded of Trunks, getting impatient.

"C'mon, Trunks." Lisanna said as she walked past him with Pan.

"I'll see you guys soon." Gohan told the younger demi-Saiyan, who nodded before following Lisanna and Erza out the guild.

"Is there anything else you need me to do, Master?" Gohan questioned as he put two fingers to his forehead.

"Nothing that can't wait until later tonight." Makarov replied. Gohan nodded before disappearing.

"I don't know how much of the conversation you heard, Natsu," the Wizard Saint said, "But we plan on having a discussion about Phantom Lord later tonight. You and Lucy should join us for it."

"If it involves telling me when I get to kick some dark wizards' teeth in, I'll definitely be there." The fire mage remarked with a grin.

"One more thing, Natsu," Makarov added before Natsu could hurry out the guild hall, "Can you help Gajeel into the recovery room? He's been through a lot today, and that blow to the head seems to have finally worn him out."

Natsu nodded before doing as instructed. When he walked into the room, he saw that Levy was still unconscious. Lucy and Porlyusica were on opposite sides of the script mage, with Lucy watching as the healer tended to her friend.

"I see he's finally exhausted himself." Porlyusica remarked as Natsu set the Iron Dragon Slayer on the bed to Levy's left.

"Kinda." Natsu replied, "Erza knocked him out."

"That probably had something to do with you two arguing." Lucy remarked with a smirk, "We could hear the whole thing, you know."

"Something like that." Natsu agreed, "How's Levy doing?"

"She'll be just fine with some rest." Porlyusica informed him, "But she was severely injured before I treated her. It will be a couple days before I let her leave this room just to make sure she's recovered."

"Thank you for helping her." Lucy said.

"You should thank Gohan, Pantherlily, or Gajeel." The healer remarked, "It's only because of them that she was able to get proper treatment in time."

Not a moment later, Happy came flying into the door with Lily just behind him.

"C'mon, Natsu!" The blue Exceed said, "We're gonna miss the fight!"

"Oh yeah!" Natsu exclaimed, suddenly remembering as he looked back to Lucy, "Do you wanna come with us?"

"What fight?" Lucy questioned.

"Erza and Trunks are going to be sparring soon." Lily informed her, "Natsu and Happy plan to watch."

Lucy looked back at Levy as she thought it over.

"It does sound like it would interesting to watch. You should go." Lily chipped in, "I'll tell Levy you were here when she wakes up."

"Thanks, Lily." Lucy replied before turning to Natsu and Happy, "Let's go."

A few minutes ago, at Fairy Fields…

Gohan appeared in his room, next to the bed his wife was laying in.

"Hey, you." Videl greeted with a smirk, sitting up as she did.

"How do you feel?" Gohan asked, getting closer to the side of the bed.

"I feel great." Videl answered honestly as Gohan sat next to her, his lower back leaning into her left thigh, "I haven't had a fight like that in ages."

"I know what you're going to say." Videl said as she put a hand on his leg, seeing that Gohan was struggling to choose his words, "And I'm sorry I made you worry like that. That whole disaster was partly my fault anyway. I brought Levy and blew Gajeel's cover."

"I was scared when I noticed something was wrong," Gohan replied, grabbing her hand and looking at it, "But I was actually going to say that I'm glad you were there."

Videl looked at her husband with faint surprise when he looked up at her.

"That Cel woman sounded so unstable she might have attacked Gajeel and Lily just for the fun of it, whether or not you and Levy were there." Gohan explained, "And if it had happened without you there, Gajeel, Lily, or Levy could have died. Maybe all three of them."

"The only thing I'm upset about," Gohan added with a smile, "Is that I didn't get to see your Kamehameha in action."

"It was purple." Videl informed her husband.

"Purple?" Gohan repeated, getting an affirming nod from his wife, "I've never seen a purple Kamehameha before."

"I thought so." Videl remarked with a smug grin.

"Oh no," Gohan said, pointing a finger from his free hand at her, "You're ego's already big enough. Don't start inflating it now."

"I beat a God Slayer, Gohan." Videl reminded him, pulling her hand away from his to gesture to herself, "I'm pretty sure Rhea was supposed to fight you, but I took her out before she ever could. I might have even saved you."

"Saved me?" Gohan questioned.

"You've heard that the only wizards capable of beating a god is a God Slayer, right?" Videl replied, "And that God Slayers are some of the most powerful wizards in all of Earthland?"

"I have." Gohan answered, resting his left hand on her right thigh, "But none of that matters to me."

"No one's going to slay me." He stated, leaning towards his wife and planting a kiss on her lips, "Not when you and Pan are waiting for me to come home."

"Good." Videl said with a loving smile, running her right hand up his left arm until she palmed his collar, "Because the waiting's bad enough as it is."

Using the collar of his blue gi, Videl pulled her husband in for an intimate kiss. After a moment, they separated. Videl shifted to her right so Gohan could lay next to her, which he happily did. Rolling onto her side to face him, Videl looked her husband over.

"You look worse than I do, you know." She informed him, putting her right hand on his arm, "Like you haven't slept in days."

"It's what happened last night, isn't it?" She questioned. Gohan nodded as he stared at the ceiling.

"You know it was an accident." She reminded him.

"That doesn't mean it wasn't my fault, though." He replied, still staring up, "I lost control, that's what happened."

"I killed someone, Videl; and then I almost killed someone else right after that." He continued, "Just because I was angry at them. I could have killed Gray or Juvia instead of Sol, they were just luckier than him."

"I wasn't protecting anyone, either." He added, "There was no reason for any of it."

"You were angry because someone attacked your friends." Videl stated, "Yeah, you made a mistake, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person."

"Just a bad fighter." Gohan remarked glumly, "I mean, one of the most important things you learn in martial arts is self-control. And with power like mine, I need more of that than anyone. Last night proved that I don't have it."

"It's not the God form is it?" Videl suggested, "I know Saiyans' personalities change a little when they become Super Saiyans."

"That does happen, but it's not a serious change." Gohan replied.

"But you haven't got much practice with your God form," His wife added, "You also have never been seriously stressed while in it either. Not until last night."

"True." He conceded, "But I don't think I should use it if I can't handle stress."

"Since I've met a few of Edo's friends now," Videl replied, "I'm thinking you're going to have to use it, ready to or not."

"You might be right." He agreed with a sigh.

"When am I not?" She joked, smiling when her husband chuckled.

"Besides, I don't think what happened last night's going to happen again." Videl stated, getting her husband to make eye contact with her, "I've never known you to make the same mistake twice."

The two lay quietly while Gohan took in his wife's words. After a moment, Videl spoke up again.

"So, is there a new plan for this whole mess we're in the middle of yet?" She asked.

"Not yet." He answered, "Master Makarov says we'll be meeting tonight to talk things over."

"And how's Pan been?" Videl questioned, "Does she miss her mom yet?"

"A little." He answered, "She asked about you the other night, but she's more than happy with all these new friends she's making."

"I bet." Videl replied with a smirk, "Where's she at now?"

"Lisanna's watching her, and Trunks is with them." He said, "Along with two of the strongest people I've met here, so she's safe."

"And you said the only thing you've got planned for today is what's happening later tonight, right?" She added.

"Yeah, that's right." Gohan replied, not catching on when Videl shifted closer and pressed her chest into his shoulder.

"So you've got some time to kill, right?" She questioned, and Gohan slowly began to catch on as she ran the fingers of her right hand over his chest.

"I guess." He said, "But I thought-"

"Thought what?" She interrupted him when he slightly stuttered.

"Aren't you exhausted from you're fight?" He questioned. Her answer came first in the form of a hungry kiss.

"Do I look tired?" She remarked when she removed her lips from his. Gohan shook his head numbly. Videl giggled at his expression before she brought her lips against his again, this time softer and more passionate. It did not take long for Gohan to regain control of himself, only to eagerly lose it again, rollingg on top of his wife as he kissed her. The two moaned into their mouths as Gohan settled himself between her legs, which she wrapped around his. A moment later, the two broke their lip-lock for air, which was when Gohan took the opportunity to remove the blue top of his dogi, tossing it and its red obi aside. He moved to help Videl out of her shirt, but she suddenly spoke up.

"Wait." She said, and Gohan looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression.

"You have to be in God form." She stated, surprising him.

"But-" Gohan began to argue with some concern, only to be cut off by his wife's placing a finger on his lips.

"You're worried you can't control your strength in it," Videl explained, "Maybe this will prove you wrong."

Gohan looked at her apprehensively before she brought her hands up to hold his face.

"I trust you." She added before smirking, "Besides, what girl wouldn't get excited at the thought of being with a god?"

Gohan chuckled before she pulled him down for another kiss. In the middle of it, Videl felt the energy in the room change; and she opened her eyes to see her husband's hair was now red. When they broke the kiss, she gave him a smirk as she looked into his bright red eyes.

"You really are slimmer in this form." She remarked as she could feel the difference in his physicality, "I hope that's not the case with _every_ part of you."

"Videl!" Gohan replied, slightly shocked as his face went bright red. His wife laughed in response.

"And here I thought you couldn't get any redder." She teased before running her right hand along his side, "Come on, help me get out of these rags. We've still got a shower to take after this, you know; and right now, we're just wasting time."

In the woods outside Magnolia…

It took a few minutes for the Natsu, Lucy, and Happy to catch up with Erza, Trunks, Lisanna, and Pan. When they got there, Trunks and Erza were already sparring while Merudy and Lisanna were entertaining Pan. They hadn't noticed they passed Jellal in their hurry to watch the two warriors.

"Wow." Lucy stated as she watched Trunks and Erza, barely able to see the two's movements. When the duelists would momentarily cease their attacks, she could see that Erza was wearing her Flight Armor, but had decided to use one sword rather than the usual two short swords that came with it. Trunks, on the other hand, was wearing no armor at all, with the only clothing he had left on was his green pants, orange belt, and his boots.

"Yeah." Lisanna agreed as Trunks and Erza rushed each other again, only able to see the light that glimmered off the swords as they were swung. Natsu was watching wordlessly, trying to figure out Trunks' and Erza's techniques.

"Erza warned me more were coming." Jellal said from behind the three, and Lucy turned to greet him.

"Sorry," Lucy apologized, "We know you like your privacy, but we heard Erza and Trunks were training and wanted to see it for ourselves."

"It's fine." Jellal accepted the apology, "I just wish I were in better shape. I'd probably be sparring with Natsu to kill some time as well."

Natsu, chuckling, momentarily looked back to Jellal to give him a grin before turning back to the show. Merudy and Lisanna saw Jellal talking with the three, and they slowly led Pan around the fighters before joining the spectators in conversation.

"So, are Trunks and Erza fighting at full speed here?" Lucy asked, hoping Jellal, Merudy, or Lisanna would have the answer.

"Not yet." Jellal told her with a smirk, "They're still warming up."

"But Erza's already using so much magic to keep up." Lucy observed, seeing a glimmer of light and sparks fly.

"Erza's still holding back too." Natsu remarked, only catching glimpses of the fighters as they moved.

"How do you know that?" Lucy asked.

"Because I can still see her." Natsu answered. Lucy shrugged in agreement before looking back to the fight, just in time to see a nearby tree get sliced diagonally in half. Both Erza and Trunks stopped to watch the top half of the tree fall to the earth, rumbling loudly until it came to rest.

"My bad." Trunks said with an apologetic shrug before turning to Erza, "Ready to go faster?"

Erza nodded before Trunks grinned and rushed her again.

"Now I can't see them." Natsu told everyone else.

"It's a close match." Jellal stated, still barely able to see the fighters, "But Erza's going to win."

"What makes you say that?" Lisanna questioned.

"Just watch." Jellal replied, knowing he was right. He would have kept watching the sparring match if Pan had not started yanking on his right index finger.

"What?" Jellal asked the tiny Saiyan, still not understanding what a toddler was doing here.

"What is that on your face?" Pan questioned, pointing to her right eye so he knew what she was asking about.

"It's a tattoo." Jellal answered, slightly puzzled she was asking about it. Merudy was watching the exchange and enjoying Jellal's awkwardness.

"Why's it there?" Pan asked. Now Lisanna and Lucy were watching the two as well.

"I don't know." Jellal informed her, "I've had it since I was a child."

"Can I look at it?" Pan requested.

"Aren't you doing that already?" Jellal questioned. Merudy, Lisanna, and Lucy giggled.

"I think she wants you to pick her up and let her look at it." Merudy explained to him, doing her best to maintain a straight face. Jellal gave Merudy a strange, confused look before facing Pan again.

"Okay…" Jellal replied before slowly grabbing Pan under both her arms and bringing her to eye-level.

"I like it." Pan complimented, trying to reach out and touch the tattoo with her left hand.

"Thank you." Jellal replied, keeping Pan at arm's length so she could not reach his face.

"Was it fun losing to my Papa?" Pan questioned, Merudy almost lost her composure when she saw the irritation flash across Jellal's face.

"So you're Gohan's daughter?" Jellal asked, getting a proud nod from Pan.

"Well, for your information," Jellal told the girl, "I did not lose because the fight was never finished. I got attacked from someone that wasn't a part of the battle."

"But I was told a great warrior is ready for anything." Pan remarked.

"You're not wrong." Jellal conceded, "But-"

"So then, my Papa won." Pan interrupted him.

"I'm starting to see why I don't spend time with children." Jellal commented, making Lisanna, Lucy, and Merudy giggle.

"You're just angry because you know my papa beat you." Pan bragged.

"Someone take her from me." Jellal pleaded to his audience.

"I'll take her." Lucy said, smiling when Jellal quickly handed the little girl over.

"You know, Jellal," Merudy stated, "You're better with kids than I thought you would be."

"If you say so." Jellal replied, hoping to avoid speaking on the matter.

"I think Pan likes you." Lisanna observed as Pan nodded in agreement.

"Sure." Jellal said dismissively, trying to focus on the fight.

"What do you think, Pan?" Lucy asked the little girl, "Would Jellal make a good dad?"

Pan was taking her time to consider her answer, so Lisanna answered for her.

"I think he'd make a great dad." She chipped in, enjoying the tint of red on Jellal's face.

Jellal continued doing his best to ignore the conversation, wishing he had a better poker face.

"I'd bet," Merudy added, "That when Jellal and Erza finally settle down, they'll have a kid just like Trunks."

"What?!" Trunks replied, completely forgetting he was in the middle of a sword fight, while Jellal turned a new shade of crimson as Lucy and Lisanna laughed.

The only person who did not react to Merudy's joke was Erza, who hit the momentarily distracted Trunks with the flat end of her sword.

"Ow!" Trunks whined, rubbing the top of his head.

"And that's why Erza was going to win." Jellal stated, trying to act as if the past few minutes had not occurred.

"Never lose focus in battle." Erza scolded Trunks, "If I were less skilled, I might have just killed you."

"I know," Trunks argued, "But did you hear what she said?"

"What?" Merudy joked, "I'm just saying, red and blue make purple."

"My hair's not purple!" Trunks quipped.

"It's close enough, and I'm pretty sure Erza's kid would know how to use a sword too." Merudy replied, getting nods of agreement from Lucy and Lisanna. Trunks looked to Jellal and Erza for help in arguing, but he saw that they were too busy looking away from each other to do anything else.

"It's okay, Trunks." Merudy continued, "If you don't want to be their kid, I'll adopt you."

Trunks was going to argue some more, but was fortunately saved from the awkwardness by a new group of arrivals.

"I would reconsider that offer if I were you," Charle chimed in, announcing her presence, "If he eats as much as his friend here does, he'd be pretty expensive to feed."

She gestured to Goten, who was standing just under the Exceed with his right arm wrapped around Wendy's left.

"Charle!" Happy cheered, sailing straight for her before flying past her as she moved aside. The blue feline crashed into a nearby tree and went sliding down it in a toon-like fashion.

"Hello to you too, tomcat." The white Exceed replied, shaking her head in amusement.

"Wendy?" Erza said to greet the Sky Maiden, "Aren't you supposed to be getting your rest?"

Jellal, Lucy, and Lisanna nodded with agreement.

"I still am." Wendy replied, "I just got tired of sitting in bed all day, and the weather is just too nice today to not be outside."

Goten nodded to show he agreed with her.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Wendy." Jellal stated, "And I'm sorry you had to fall ill in order to help me recover."

"Thank you, Jellal," She replied, "But it wasn't your fault you lost all your magic."

"Hey, Trunks," Goten piped up, "You didn't just lose to Erza did you?"

"Why do you care?" His friend replied dismissively.

"Yeah, you did." Goten noted with a chuckle.

"Whatever!" Trunks argued, "I could still beat you!"

"Maybe." The black-haired demi-Saiyan remarked, "But it wasn't me you were fighting."

"That's because you don't know how to fight with a sword." Trunks quipped.

"No, I just don't like swords." Goten said with his ever-present grin.

"But if you had to use a weapon, Goten," Lisanna asked out of interest, "What would it be?"

Goten scratched his head in thought with his free hand before answering, "I guess if I had to use one, it'd be like a stick or something."

"Like a Bo staff?" Erza questioned, slightly intrigued when Goten nodded, "Why?"

"My mom told me my dad used to use one." Goten explained, "He called it the Nyoibo, I think. She also told me it could stretch long enough to reach the moon."

"That sounds useful." Lucy remarked, with a few others nodding.

"Interesting." Erza mused, "Why haven't you trained with it? I'm sure your father would be glad to teach you how."

"I never thought about it." Goten answered honestly, "Besides, he's busy training anyway."

"I see." Erza replied, "That's a shame. Trunks could use a sparring partner closer to his level."

"What does that mean?" Trunks demanded, clearly offended.

"It means you need more practice." Erza stated, "You have refined some skills and you do have natural talent, but that isn't going to be enough in the real world. That, and you should practice fighting with different sorts of opponents. Not everyone is going to use the same type of weapon that you will."

"I suggest you take Erza's advice to heart." Jellal chipped in, "She's not famous across all of Fiore and beyond for- for nothing, after all."

Merudy noticed Jellal stumble mid-sentence and could not resist the urge to make a comment.

"You meant to say 'for her good looks', right, Jellal?" Merudy added, smirking when Erza and Jellal went red.

"So Goten," Natsu said after the group's laughter subsided, "How about you and I have a rematch?"

"Nah." The demi-Saiyan replied after some thought, "I feel like relaxing today."

"And is 'relaxing' a code word for going on some kind of date with your _girlfriend_?" Happy teased him.

"Yeah, you got me." Goten lied with grin. Wendy shifted nervously, still not comfortable with lying to her friends about her training.

"Hey, Goten, what was that thing you did last night?" Lucy questioned Goten, "And why was your hair so long?"

"I was wondering about that too," Natsu added, "It's the same thing that Gojenks guy used against me."

"It's Gotenks." Lucy corrected.

"Whatever." Natsu replied before thinking aloud, "Where did that guy go anyway?"

"He's right here." Lucy told the fire mage, who looked at her and the two demi-Saiyans in confusion.

"Don't you remember?" Lucy questioned, "Goten and Trunks can fuse to become one person. That guy is Gotenks."

"Really?" Jellal asked, "That sounds very interesting. I'm assuming you two become stronger when you're, um, 'fused'?"

Goten and Trunks both nodded.

"How is that possible?" Merudy questioned, "Some kind of magic?"

"I guess it is." Trunks answered her, "There's a weird dance we've got to do and everything."

"Like a ritual?" Erza asked.

"We can show you it if you want." Goten volunteered.

"Really?" Natsu questioned excitedly.

"I guess so." Trunks replied with a shrug, "Can you hold this, Erza?"

The Knight took Trunks' sword from him as he thanked her. Wendy released Goten's hand to let him approach Trunks.

"You guys may want to back up." Trunks warned the spectators as they formed a semi-circle around him and Goten, "We're gonna power up before we fuse."

Everyone quickly moved a few feet back before feeling the force of Goten and Trunks simultaneously going Super. The two stopped powering up when the air around them began to crackle with electricity. Looking at each other, the two demi-Saiyans nodded before mirroring their stances.

"FU…SION…HA!"

After a blinding flash of light, the group saw the golden haired hybrid standing in front of them.

"Tada!" the ever-showboating Super Saiyan said.

"Awesome." Natsu remarked.

"Aye." Happy agreed.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Gotenks questioned with grin and his fists on his hips.

"It is interesting." Jellal replied, "But I assume this fusion does not last for long."

"Thirty minutes exactly." Gotenks answered, "But that's usually more than enough time for me to beat whoever I'm fighting."

"And is that gold hair your natural hair color when Goten and Trunks fuse?" Erza asked out of curiosity.

"Nah." Gotenks said, powering down to reveal his black and lavender hair, "That's just Super Gotenks."

"I'm guessing you call your transformation 'going Super' then?" Jellal questioned.

"Yup." The fused warrior agreed.

"So can any two people do that dance to fuse with each other?" Lucy asked.

"Nope." Gotenks informed the group, "Only people similar in strength."

"So Lucy couldn't fuse with Erza, I guess." Natsu remarked.

"Hey!" Lucy shouted, offended.

"I bet Lily and I could fuse." Happy stated, an image of himself in Lily's fighting form popped in his head.

"Charle wouldn't reject me then." Happy added.

"It wouldn't be you, though." Charle reminded the tomcat.

"They'd both remember it, though." Gotenks clarified for the two cats, "Like I remember Goten's kissing Wendy."

The Sky Maiden went bright red as she looked at the grass in the hopes no one would stare at her for too long.

"So you carry memories of both halves inside you." Jellal remarked thoughtfully, "Goten and Trunks' minds are both in there, perfectly working as one?"

"That's right." Gotenks affirmed.

"So, in theory, Goten and Trunks would share all their memories every time they fused." Jellal continued. Gotenks nodded.

"And when you return to Goten and Trunks," Jellal questioned, "Do they both keep those memories?"

"Well, yeah." Gotenks answered, "Where else would they go?"

"So Goten knows everything about Trunks, and Trunks knows everything about Goten?" Lisanna wondered aloud.

"Uh huh." Gotenks agreed.

"So then, Trunks now knows what it's like to kiss Wendy?" Lucy asked with a smirk.

"This is embarrassing." Wendy mumbled as she continued to stare at her feet.

"And Goten must have memories of training with a sword as well." Erza added.

"Yep and yep." Gotenks affirmed.

"Hey, Gotenks?" Happy piped up.

"What's up?" the hybrid replied.

"If you're Goten and Trunks," Happy wondered, "Who do you go out with? Wendy, or Lisanna?"

"I was supposed to be relaxing right now…" Wendy whined to herself while Lisanna went a bright shade of red right alongside her.

"Hm…" Gotenks replied thoughtfully, "Both, I guess."

"Oh my." Charle remarked while Happy sniggered.

"This dude's awesome." Natsu joked, earning himself a smack to the back of the head from Lucy.

"Don't encourage them!" Lucy scolded the wounded Salamander.

"Excuse me, Gotenks," Merudy said, finally speaking up, "But there's something I want to try if you'd let me."

"What is it?" He asked.

"A sensory link." She explained, "It'll let us share feelings. I'm curious to see what it feels like to be a fusion of two people."

"You can if you want." Gotenks replied, "But it feels pretty normal in here."

The pink bands of Merudy's magic quickly appeared on the two's wrists.

"They truly are one person." Merudy stated for everyone else, "There's no trace of Goten or Trunks' senses in Gotenks."

"That's because I'm both of them." He reminded her.

"But there is one thing that stands out." Merudy added, getting Gotenks to raise his eyebrows in interest.

"I can feel all your power." Merudy elaborated, "Your strength, it's overwhelming."

"Pretty neat, huh?" Gotenks bragged as the sensory links disappeared.

"It is." Merudy agreed, "But I'm wondering what it'd be like to sensory link with one of your halves, and then let them fuse with the other."

"Now you lost me." Gotenks remarked before glancing to Lucy and Pan.

"Hey, Pan!" He greeted cheerily.

"Pan says she's going to be stronger than me one day." Gotenks informed the group.

"If she's anything like her father, I don't doubt it." Jellal remarked.

"Where is Gohan, anyway?" Lucy asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know." Gotenks answered honestly, "I can't feel his energy."

"Is that a bad thing?" Lucy questioned with some concern.

"Not really." The hybrid replied, "He could be hiding it, or he's in God form."

"I think Master had told Gohan to get some rest." Lisanna stated, "He's probably just hiding his energy so no one can bother him."

"Probably." Gotenks agreed. Videl's ki was at Fairy Fields; and Gotenks guessed to himself Gohan was with her, thinking it was no wonder the older Saiyan did not want to be disturbed.

The group spent most of the day together, chatting about current events and catching up on what all the wizards had been doing since the Grand Magic Games. The Fairy Tail wizards were intrigued by Jellal and Merudy's recounting of how they tracked down a few dark guilds; and Jellal had done his best to convince Natsu he certainly did not want to come along with them, telling the Salamander their mission was not as entertaining as it sounded. After that, Erza and Trunks sparred another time, to Natsu's delight, for an hour or so while Lucy, Wendy, Goten, and Lisanna played with Pan. Merudy stood aside and amusedly watched Jellal as he watched Erza while Happy spent his free time chatting with Charle. It was not long after Erza and Trunks' training match that the sun began to set. The group realized the time when Natsu, Goten, Trunks, and Happy's stomachs rumbled simultaneously and at equal volume.

"I guess that means it's time for dinner." Charle remarked. Trunks smirked bashfully while Natsu and Goten scratched the back of their heads in slightly embarrassed agreement.

"This is bad." Lucy joked as she looked at the two, "I don't know if our guild can handle two Natsu's."

"Their behavior is almost identical at times." Erza agreed.

"I know one way they're different." Happy chipped in with a grin.

"How?" Charle questioned.

"Goten's cool enough to get a girlfriend." The blue feline answered. Goten gave them a goofy grin while Natsu began arguing with his friend.

"I'm cool!" The Salamander insisted.

"Whatever you say, Natsu." Happy said dismissively.

"I guess we should start heading back to the guild." Lisanna suggested.

"Agreed." Erza added with a nod, "The meeting with Master Makarov is soon as well."

"I guess you two forgot about your 'date', huh?" Happy teased Goten and Wendy, who were just realizing they had wasted the whole day socializing.

"That's okay." Goten replied happily, "That just means we'll have a better date later."

Wendy shyly agreed, though worried her boyfriend's response was a way of warning her training would be tougher tomorrow.

Before anyone could comment on the topic at hand, they heard a noise behind Jellal; and the ones not already facing the former wizard saint turned to see Gohan smiling at them.

"Papa!" Pan was the first to greet him, almost jumping from Lucy's arms.

"Hey, Pan." He replied happily as he took her from Lucy, "Thanks for watching her, you guys."

"It's no problem." Lucy stated with Lisanna nodding in agreement, "She's too fun to refuse."

"I'll take that to mean she was behaving?" Gohan noted with some pride.

"She was." Merudy chipped in, "The only person she gave a hard time was Jellal."

"Really?" Gohan asked with some interest.

"Yep." Lisanna informed him, "She wanted to make sure Jellal knew he lost your fight last night."

"She's got a fighting spirit," Jellal stated, slightly surprising Lucy, Lisanna, and Merudy, "I'll give her that."

"You can blame her mother for that." Gohan replied. He looked at Trunks and Erza, noticing both seemed fatigued.

"Who won?" He asked. Trunks pointed at Erza with his sword.

"She won the first time, but only because I got distracted." The younger Saiyan explained.

"A great warrior is ready for anything." Gohan reminded him, "I thought you learned that at your dad's expense."

"Or mine." Jellal commented, "I got a similar lecture from your daughter regarding last night."

"Eh, it's a gray area." Gohan answered diplomatically with a shrug. Jellal smirked at Gohan's response.

"We were just getting ready to get dinner." Lisanna informed Gohan.

"I guessed you guys were." He replied, "It's almost time for that meeting too."

"Before you go," Jellal cut in, "There's something I needed to speak with you about."

"That's another reason I came here, actually." Gohan told him, "The Master wants you and Merudy to come to the meeting."

"You can get dinner with us too, then." Lucy added cheerily, boldly glancing between Erza and Jellal.

"You won't have to worry about being seen heading to the guild." Gohan assured him, "I'm taking everyone to the guild."

A moment later, the group appeared by the bar across from Mirajane. Elfman, who was sitting near where they warped in, jumped in surprise.

"Hi, everyone!" Mira greeted happily with her signature smile, "Having a good day?"

"Most of us." Lucy answered first, "Jellal, Wendy, and Trunks, had a few embarrassing moments today."

"That's putting it lightly." Wendy remarked as she sat by the bar with Goten and Charle.

"Fairy Tail wizards do make for interesting company." Jellal commented as Trunks sat to Goten's left, putting his sword on the bar while Lisanna sat next to him. Gohan sat to Wendy's right with Pan just as Lucy, Natsu, and Happy sat to his.

"You're not the first to figure that out." Gohan joked as Erza walked away to find her own table to sit at. Elfman retook his seat to Natsu's right as Cana approached the bar.

"Hey, Mira," She slurred, tipping her mug over to show it was empty, "I need a refill."

The card mage sat next to Elfman.

"Hey, Cana." Lucy greeted amiably, "What did you do all day?"

"Drink, mostly." Her friend replied, "But I did practice my magic a little. What about you?"

"Not much, really." Lucy answered before gesturing to Pan, "I got to play with this cutie for a while though."

Gohan grinned as he set Pan on the bar. Cana glanced to Jellal and Merudy, with the blue haired man meeting her gaze.

"You guys should sit down and make yourselves comfortable." She advised as Mira handed the refill she asked for, "You'll stand out less."

Jellal nodded and moved to take the last seat by the bar, but Merudy darted past him and took it before he could reach it.

"Looks like that's the last seat here, Jellal." Merudy observed with a mischievous grin, "I guess you're gonna have to find a seat somewhere else."

Jellal knew what she was playing at, but he saw no better option as he sighed and went to join Erza, the only other familiar face in the guild hall. A few of the others by the bar grinned knowingly as they watched the exchange and saw Jellal walk away.

"So, what's for dinner, Mira?" Lisanna asked, with Goten, Natsu, and Trunks nodding to show they had the same question.

"Whatever you order, you know how it works." Mirajane replied, "What do you want?"

The group ordered their meals and Mira hurriedly placed their orders in the kitchen before returning with their drinks. As she served the people by the bar, she kept an eye on Jellal and Erza. When she saw Kinana moving to serve them, she moved quickly to the three.

"I'll help them, Kinana." She told her coworker, "Erza's a tough customer anyway."

Kinana gave Mirajane a confused look before shrugging and walking away. Jellal watched the exchange with some confusion while Erza looked intently at Mira.

"Tough customer, am I?" She questioned the takeover mage, who giggled airily in response.

"Not always." Mira answered, before commenting to Jellal, "Erza can be hard to please sometimes. She's got high standards, you know."

"As a leader of her quality should." Jellal replied diplomatically, "People around her have less motivation to improve if she expects little from them."

"Erza always told me how intelligent you are. I'm glad I could finally see that in person." Mirajane stated, silently enjoying the faintly red tint of Jellal's face, "Now, what do you want for dinner?"

"I'm not sure." Jellal answered honestly, "It's been more than seven years since I've eaten at any place similar to a restaurant."

"Then I guess I'll have to make sure you get the best dinner we've got." Mira responded, "And it'll be on the house as well."

"Oh, you don't-" Jellal began to reply, but Mira cut him off.

"Don't be silly." She said cheerily, "You're a guest of Fairy Tail, after all. Eating with Titania, the Fairy Queen, no less."

"Thank you, Mira." Erza replied for Jellal.

"It's no problem, Erza." Mirajane stated, "I'm just doing my best to make our guest welcome. I'll go order your food and come back with some drinks."

"Non-alcoholic, please." Erza requested, silently not liking when Mira giggled.

"No promises." The S-Class waitress half-joked before walking away.

"You're perfect, Mirajane." Merudy remarked as the white haired woman walked around the bar. The takeover mage replied with only a slight giggle and a smile before entering the kitchen.

Just over a half hour later, after his awkward dinner, Jellal stood up and approached Gohan, who greeted him when he came closer.

"Hey." The demi-Saiyan said, "What's up?"

"Merudy and I wanted to speak with you before this meeting." Jellal answered before glancing to the tables behind him, "Alone."

Everyone except for Gohan and Pan had moved away from the bar in preparation for Makarov's meeting with the guild, but Jellal was still worried they were within earshot of the others. Gohan looked around before nodding.

"Go sit with your uncle, okay?" He asked his daughter, letting her hop out his lap before looking back to Jellal, "Follow me."

Merudy saw Jellal talking with Gohan from across the hall and headed after them when she saw them walking together. The next moment, she saw them enter what she guessed was the Data Room before she hurried into it after them. When she walked in, Gohan and Jellal were already mid-conversation, sitting across from each other at a table in the middle of the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, the two men both looked at her to greet her.

"Hey, guys." She said first as she approached, "What are we talking about?"

"Jellal was starting to tell me how much you two know about Phantom." Gohan answered, gesturing for her to sit next to Jellal. Merudy noticed Gohan was wearing an odd grin as he spoke to her. When Merudy sat down, however, she began to figure out why.

"Hey, Jellal?" She asked curiously as she looked at the table, "Did you bring that mug in here with you?"

"What?" He asked confused before he glanced at the large cup in question, "Oh, yeah. I guess I did."

Gohan was doing his best not to laugh.

"What's in it?" She questioned.

"I don't really know." Jellal answered honestly, "Mirajane gave it to me while I was eating with Erza. She says it has magic that makes it taste like different fruits depending on its drinker's personality. She called it 'The Mystery Flavor'."

"So what does it taste like?" Merudy asked, curious to hear the answer to that question before asking the more important one.

"That's the interesting thing, it changes flavors." Jellal explained, "So far, I've tasted coconut and orange."

"That's pretty cool." Merudy remarked before adding, "I just wish you weren't slurring your words so much."

Gohan suppressed a snicker.

"I am?" Jellal questioned, "I couldn't tell."

"Did you even notice you're drunk, Jellal?" Merudy replied, trying to keep a straight face as well.

"I'm not drunk." Jellal insisted.

"Liar." Merudy slurred, showing Jellal the pink band on both their wrists before they faded away. Jellal gave her a dismissing shrug before turning back to Gohan.

"You were saying?"

"Right," Gohan replied, finally managing to remove the grin from his face, "I was saying that we already know about the weapon Phantom Lord's been building."

"You do?" Merudy asked, "What is it?"

"We're not sure." Gohan explained, "But we do know who's building it. It's a dark wizard going by the name of 'Edo'. There's him and his henchman, a Flame God Slayer named Zancrow."

"Zancrow?!" Merudy exclaimed, making Gohan nearly jump in surprise.

"That's what I said, right?" Gohan replied, "You know him?"

"I did." Merudy stated, "He was in Grimoire Heart with me, but he was killed by Zeref."

"Edo says he brought him back." Gohan informed her.

"That's not possible." She insisted.

"Does the Zancrow you know have long yellow hair and crazy red eyes?" Gohan asked.

"And black flames." Merudy added with a nod.

"Then it's the same guy." Gohan finished, "I met him last night, so I know he's real."

"So there's a wizard that knows how to undo Zeref's magic?" Jellal remarked, "A wizard like him would be useful to have when we finally find Zeref."

"I don't think Edo's the kinda guy that would work with you." Gohan stated.

"You're probably right." Jellal agreed, "But still, I'd like to find this man."

"Well, we know where he is right now," Gohan stated, "But he'd see us coming. His magic lets him look almost anywhere he wants."

"If that's true, then this 'Edo' may know where Zeref is." Jellal thought aloud.

"Or Acnologia, I've been thinking a similar thing too." Gohan added, "But I already said the problem, we're not going to find him unless he wants us to."

"What do you mean?" Merudy questioned, "Can't you use your teleporting trick to catch him by surprise?"

"I would if I could." Gohan explained, "But instant transmission needs me to focus on a person's energy to be able to appear near them, and I've never felt Edo's before."

"Is it possible to hide your energy?" Jellal asked.

"It is," Gohan answered, "But you've got to know how to control energy to do that, and I don't think Edo does."

"So if you met him in person, you'd be familiar with his energy?" Merudy questioned.

"I'd think so." Gohan replied.

"So we just have to get him to meet you, and then we can come up with some plan to confront him." Jellal stated, "That only leaves us to worry about Zancrow and this weapon. Are you sure you know nothing about it?"

"Actually, I do know something." Gohan replied after a moment's thought, "Edo says the weapon he's building makes its user stronger, and it has its own source of power."

"No…" Merudy mumbled, and only Gohan heard her, "He couldn't have…"

"What is it?" Gohan asked, with Jellal looking to her as well.

"The Devil's Heart." Merudy answered, "It's a weapon that Master Hades from Grimoire Heart used. It made him very powerful."

"I don't think it's a coincidence Edo brought Zancrow back to life." Jellal stated.

"Would Zancrow know how to build a Devil's Heart?" Gohan wondered.

"Maybe." Merudy said, "Everyone in the guild knew about it, but I don't know if Master Hades had any help in making it."

"Maybe Edo brought Hades back to life as well." Jellal suggested.

"I don't even want to think that's possible." Merudy remarked, "But now I'm almost certain that Edo's building his own Devil's Heart."

"Someone like Edo, with an unknown magic that may rival Zeref's," Jellal said, more sober than ever, "Cannot be allowed to have that device."

"How strong does it make you?" Gohan questioned.

"Erza told me that she, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy altogether were no match for him when the Devil's Heart was active." Jellal answered. Gohan was very worried at this point.

"That's not good." He remarked.

"I agree." Jellal stated, "That machine was the closest anyone has gotten to the One Magic. And seeing that Edo probably has Hades' knowledge on hand, he can only learn more about it."

"And I'm guessing the closer you get to this 'One Magic'," Gohan concluded, "The stronger you can become?"

"Precisely." Jellal replied.

"There's something else I haven't told you guys yet." Gohan suddenly said, "Did you hear about what happened this morning with Gajeel, Levy, and Lily?"

"We did." Jellal answered, "A new member of Phantom Lord attacked them."

"She wasn't just a new member." Gohan elaborated, "She was a friend of Edo's, an Earth God Slayer named Cel Rhea."

"Another God Slayer?" Merudy questioned.

"I doubt that's a coincidence." Jellal remarked.

"I don't think Edo wants to use the Devil's Heart on himself." Gohan continued, "Maybe not at first."

"Explain." Jellal requested.

"Well, any scientist or engineer would do the same," Gohan said, "If I were Edo, I'd want to test my design before using it on myself."

"You think he plans on using Zancrow or that Earth God Slayer as lab rats?" Merudy asked.

"It's possible." Gohan answered, "But Cel's dead, so he's only got Zancrow left."

"But why God Slayers?" Merudy questioned, "You can literally link anyone to the- wait…"

"He's targeting Gohan." Jellal concluded, "A god."

"We have to stop him as soon as possible." Merudy stated, "You may be strong, Gohan, but you can't take on Zancrow if he's got that kind of power. And if it's true what they say about God Slayer magic, you'll die if he wins."

"I agree." Jellal added, "This weapon must not come into existence again."

Jellal tried to stand up and hurry out the room, but instead he simply rolled out his chair and fell to the floor.

"You're still drunk." Merudy observed with a sigh. Gohan helped Jellal stand up.

"I do agree that we have to stop him." Gohan stated as he let Jellal go, "But we're not ready to take him on yet. Edo is hiding the weapon in a dark guild's headquarters, and we have no clue where it is in the building. If we want to find it quickly, we'll need more than just us three to find it. And Edo's threatened to destroy the entire city of Magnolia if we don't do as he says. So any move we make against him will only have one chance to go right."

"That's what you and Makarov are planning, isn't it?" Jellal questioned, trying his best to stand straight. Gohan nodded.

"The fight with Phantom Lord is not going to be a fight." Gohan explained, "It's a raid. We were planning on attacking a week from now; but now that we know more about what we're dealing with, I think I can tell the Master we can hurry our plans a little. Maybe we'll catch Edo by surprise."

"That being said, I've been told Fairy Tail usually parties before a fight." Gohan continued, handing Jellal his half-full mug, "And if you're going to be fighting with these guys, I think you should get to know them a little more. Besides, it's been a while since I've hung out with someone closer to my age."

"Considering I've apparently already started partying," Jellal replied, "Why not?"

"You're not serious…" Merudy questioned, but Gohan's smirk was all that she needed for an answer.

"What?" Jellal remarked, "Aren't you the one that always tries to get me to be social?"

"C'mon, you two," Gohan finished, "We've got a party to start."


	21. Chapter 19

Chapter 18: Flame

The Next Day…

Gray and Juvia were sitting at the far end of the Phantom Lord dining hall when they saw Videl walk in. Quickly looking around, Videl spotted the two, making eye contact with Gray, before giving him a nod.

"Beedel, what a surprise!" A rather annoying and familiar voice greeted her.

"What do you want, Snarl?" She replied, sounding annoyed and dismissive, "I really don't feel like putting up with you right now."

"There's a rumor going around that you killed our newest member."

"Yeah?" Videl remarked, "Why do you care?"

"We heard you did it to save a Fairy."

"I did it to save a prisoner." Videl corrected him, "One that could have had information about Fairy Tail."

"We know enough about Fairy Tail-"

"Oh yeah?" She replied, "Then I guess you haven't heard the rumor about what happened upstairs."

"Yeah, some Fairy showed up the other night and wrecked the place, killed Sol."

"Sol's dead?" Videl acted surprised, "That's too bad, I had just done him a favor."

"What do you mean?"

"I killed his replacement on the Element Four." She explained, "She was an Earth God Slayer."

"Hmph. Yeah, right. You, kill a God Slayer?"

"That's right," Videl remarked, "You see, Snarl, I'm not a god; just one hell of a fighter."

"So, you're saying there's another spot open for the Element Four?"

"I guess." Videl agreed before adding, "They'll probably be looking for another earth wizard too. It's such a shame really, we're running out of those around here."

"Is that a threat?!"

"Calm down, dummy," She barked back, "I'm trying to tell you something else."

"Wait… you don't mean- You think I should join the Element Four?"

"Took you long enough." She commented sarcastically before making a straight face, "Why not? Master Porla likes to talk with me, maybe I make a suggestion."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" She questioned, "You don't want to be in the Element?"

"I mean, I could understand if you didn't." She remarked before he could answer, "That's some big shoes to fill, there's a joke about your height in there that I'm not going to use; but it could be scary having that much responsibility. Just think of all the competition…"

"I can take on anyone I want! I'm not scared!"

"Really?" She asked with a judgmental look, "Prove it."

"What?"

"So those big ears are just for show." She teased, feigning surprise, "I said, prove it."

"How?"

"You said it yourself," Videl explained, "You can take on anyone you want. These people around you all want to be a part of the Element Four, they're you're competition."

"So?"

"So, don't you think it'd be smarter to start taking some of them out right now?"

"I'm not going to kill them!"

"I didn't say kill them." She quipped, "Just show them their place, that way they don't challenge you later. If you can take a few of these guys, then maybe I'll talk to the Master for you."

"I don't know…"

"And…" Videl added in a whisper, "If you take out more than a few for me, maybe I'll talk to you later too."

"Yeah?"

"Maybe, but that's all up to you." She said with a shrug before walking away. It was not long before a commotion in the dining hall became a full blown riot as fights broke out across the hall. Still sitting in the back and watching everything that was going on, Gray and Juvia felt a mix of pity and amusement at the dark wizards as they brawled. Waiting a few more minutes, they decided it was time to intervene before someone got seriously injured. Gray shoved a path through the crowd with Juvia on his heels until they reached the center of the commotion. Picking a random brawler in the crowd, Gray quickly froze the man to get everyone's attention.

"What the hell is going on here?!" He yelled loudly, and he waited for the crowd around him to go quiet.

Stepping next to Gray, Juvia saw Snarl and three other wizards standing in a small layer of sand at the center of the crowd. On the ground were four other members of Phantom, already rendered unconscious.

"Answer the question." Juvia demanded coldly.

Now realizing who was speaking to them, more than half the crowd pointed to Snarl.

"Snarl?" Gray questioned with a tone of annoyance, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing that concerns you." He spat back.

"That's where you're wrong, little guy." Gray retorted, and Snarl grimaced at the ice wizard until Juvia stepped towards him. After that, he was suddenly submissive.

"J-Juvia!" He exclaimed lowering his face, "What are you doing here?"

"I was enjoying lunch with my darling before you ruined it." She explained, "Why?"

"I was… um…" He stuttered.

"Snarl said that there's a spot open in the Element Four." A man standing near Snarl answered, "So we-"

"I see what's going on." Gray interrupted, "We're interrupting a competition here, Juvia."

Snarl and a few others nodded weakly.

"And where did the idea for this come from?" Juvia questioned the group.

"It was Beedel!" Snarl quickly sold out, "She said-"

"Beedel?" Gray scoffed, "You actually listened to her?"

"But she said-"

"You think I give a crap about what-" Gray began, but was interrupted.

"But she told me-" Snarl tried to add before Juvia cut him off.

"You dare to interrupt one of the Element?" She demanded.

"I'm sorry, Juvia!" He begged for forgiveness before adding, "But he isn't part of the Four, right?"

"Water and Ice are the same element, just as Juvia and her love fight as one." Juvia explained, "His words carry just as much weight as my own. Now, you had something to say, darling?"

"Actually, I was getting an idea." Gray replied, "We like a good fight, don't we, Juvia?"

"You more than I, to be honest." Juvia remarked, "But yes, a good battle can prove enjoyable."

"Well, these people want to prove they're strong enough to be on the Element Four," Gray elaborated, "So, maybe we let them prove it."

Snarl and a few other of the dark wizards looked at Gray and Juvia hopefully.

"We'll take on everyone at once," Gray declared, "And the last person standing gets a personal recommendation from us. Even if you are not an earth wizard."

"That sounds fair." Juvia replied. The crowd around them suddenly became confident, except for Snarl.

"Heh," He muttered nervously, knowing his new enemies were very different from the other wizards around him. He slowly backed away, hoping the crowd ahead of him would wear out his opponents slightly before he joined the fight. Snarl thought that there looked to be nearly fifty other wizards in the room, and he was sure fifty people would be enough to beat two. But just in case, he continued to back up.

"Ready, Juvia?" Gray asked, glancing at her with a grin as she gave him a nod.

"Alright." He replied, making his right hand a fist and placing against his left palm, "Let's get started."

A few in the crowd inched forward until Juvia pointed her right palm at them.

"Water Cyclone." She said, and the crowd in front of her was suddenly blasted by the spinning attack before it began snaking through the crowd.

"Ice Make: Floor!" Gray added, and the entire dining hall now had a layer of ice covering the entire floor. Most of the dark wizards that did not slip or fall on the ice were hit by Juvia's cyclone. Before the ones that did fall could recover, Gray was already preparing for their counter attack.

"Ice Make: Cannon!" He yelled, and he and Juvia were surrounded by eight cannons, all aimed at approaching enemies. As soon as the first of the dark wizards were back on their feet, the cannons went off, blasting through the crowd.

"I gotta say," Gray remarked as he looked around, "I thought this would be a little more challenging."

"I agree." Juvia stated, "Should we end this?"

Gray looked to her before giving her a nod and saying, "Flood it."

Upstairs…

Jose Porla's train of thought was broken by the sounds of multiple explosions.

"What the hell is going on down there?!" He demanded angrily.

"That's probably the fight Snarl started." Videl answered with a shrug, "The guild knows there's an opening in the Element."

"There's no such thing." Porla replied, "I intend to bring Gajeel into the Four as soon as he returns."

"Does Gajeel's magic even count as Earth Magic?" Zancrow questioned. Edo shrugged.

"Cel Rhea was able to eat his magic," He stated, "So it does have some earthen properties."

"Beedel," Porla questioned, "Where is Gajeel at right now?"

"I'm not sure." Videl lied, "I hurried back as soon as I recovered from the fight, and he was in worse shape than I was."

"And your prisoner?" Porla added.

"Gone." Videl lied again, "I couldn't find a trace of her after the fight, and the land was too damaged for me to track her after."

"It sounds like the fighting has ended." Zancrow suddenly observed, bringing the rest of the group's attention to the lack of commotion from downstairs.

"It does." Porla agreed before instructing, "Zancrow, go see what kind of damage those fools have caused."

"Yes, Master." Zancrow replied with a bow of his head, glancing to Edo before leaving the room.

"Do you need something from me?" Edo asked the Phantom Lord. Videl looked over the mysterious wizard, slightly frustrated that the only thing she could see under his fanged hood was his eyes.

"The weapon," Porla replied, "Is it finished?"

"Almost." Edo answered, "Zancrow and I are very close; I just need his assistance in calibrating a few things-"

"I don't need technical details," Jose interrupted, and Videl could have sworn she saw a glimmer of anger in Edo's dark blue eyes, "Just do what you need to complete it."

"As you wish." Edo said, bowing before leaving the room. Videl looked to Jose as she waited for him to speak.

"Beedel," He ordered, "I want you to follow Edo and offer him your assistance."

"As you wish, Master," Videl replied, "But I thought Edo wanted no one else's help on building-"

"Edo will take on any assistants I order him to take." Porla cut her off, "Now go, I've got some cleaning yet to do."

"Yes, sir." Videl replied before turning away and leaving the throne room.

It took her a minute before she caught up to Edo, who smirked when he saw her.

"So he's sent you to watch me." He noted as he walked alongside her.

"Master Porla did not tell me to spy on you." Videl stated, wondering what kind of expression he was wearing on the other side of that fang-adorned hood.

"I wasn't talking about that fool Porla." Edo clarified.

"What're you-"

"How's Gohan enjoying being in Fairy Tail?" Edo questioned, "I know you two had some alone time yesterday that he must have enjoyed. Is that a normal part of your recovery process?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Videl replied, looking straight ahead as she walked.

"Oh come on, Videl," Edo teased, "You know that I know how everything actually played out. If you can't surprise me, you could at least amuse me."

"Maybe I'll answer you if you told me why you're gathering God Slayers." Videl stated.

"That should be obvious." He answered flatly, "But what's not obvious is what your husband plans to do next."

"Can't you just read my mind or something?" She questioned, "Why bother asking?"

"I wish it were that simple." Edo explained, "But there's no darkness in people that are pure of heart, just emotion."

"Hm." Videl replied in thought as they reached the bottom of the stairs, but before she could reply; Zancrow kicked open the door angrily.

"Master!" He shouted, "We're being attacked!"

Edo coolly looked to Videl as he raised a calming hand to Zancrow before speaking, "So this is his plan? So much for our little arrangement, I guess."

Videl quickly glanced between the two before Zancrow dove for her. She launched to her right, shoving Edo into the side of the stairs before swinging her left elbow back to drive Zancrow's face into the stairs. The fire mage roared in anger as she darted out the door. Zancrow moved to chase her, but was halted by Edo.

"Leave her." He commanded, "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

Just down the hall…

The large dining room was filled with over fifty ice cubes, each one containing a dark wizard that was frozen with only their heads exposed.

"Having fun, you guys?" Gray asked the crowd with a triumphant smirk just as nineteen people and three Exceeds suddenly appeared behind him and Juvia, "I hope you are, because this is only going to get better."

"Now this is a skating ring!" Natsu joked as he examined a nearby ice block.

"Not bad, popsicle." Gajeel teased as he patted another Phantom on the head, "I can't wait to line some of them up and start playing some whack a mole in here."

"Stay focused, you two." Gohan told the Dragon Slayers as he emerged from the center of the new arrivals, "Remember what we're here for."

The group's attention was suddenly captured by a loud bang from behind, and they saw Videl sprinting across the hall.

"Gohan! We need to move, Edo-" She yelled, but a nearby dark wizard interrupted her.

"Beedel?!" Snarl replied, "You traitorous bit-"

Unfortunately for Snarl, he did not have the chance to finish his sentence as Gohan appeared next to him and slammed an open palm on his head; rendering him unconscious.

A few from both the Fairy Tail gang and the dark wizards winced in pain at the sight. Walking back to Videl, Gohan put a calming hand on her shoulder before asking what happened.

"He knows we're here." She stated, and her husband nodded.

"Laxus?" Gohan cued, beginning the next step of the plan.

Laxus nodded before turning to Evergreen, who took center stage.

"All right, boys and girls," She said, projecting her voice so the entire room could hear her as she grabbed her glasses, "All eyes on me."

The next instant, almost all the captive wizards were turned to stone. Laxus then looked to Freed, who quickly began drawing runes around the entire room.

"This is too easy!" Bickslow laughed, along with his 'babies', as they watched the few wizards that were not turned to stone.

"Make sure we've got the entire room covered." Laxus reminded his teammates before turning to Gohan, "We've got things handled here, you can get moving."

Gohan nodded before turning to the rest of his friends.

"The weapon's somewhere downstairs." Videl informed the group, "That's all I know."

"Gray told me Edo made routine trips to the store room." Gohan remembered aloud before giving an order, "Gajeel and Lily, see if you can find anything of interest there."

"Sure thing." Gajeel replied before adding with a grin, "Boss."

Gohan chuckled as Gajeel and Lily headed for the storage room.

"Videl, go with them." Gohan told his wife, who nodded and immediately ran after the two.

"Goten, Wendy, Charle, Elfman, and Lisanna;" Gohan instructed, "You guys secure the recovery room."

"I'll lead the way." Juvia volunteered.

"Merudy and I are going for Edo's chambers." Jellal told Gohan, "Before the council gets here."

"I'm coming with you." Erza added.

"And I guess I'll make sure you don't get lost." Gray chipped in before Jellal nodded and led the group into the hallway.

"Trunks," Gohan ordered, "Follow them and remember, fight only if you have to."

"I got it." Trunks replied before flying across the room and out the door.

"Alzack and Bisca," Gohan stated, "Make sure no one leaves this building, and watch out for shade magic."

The husband and wife team nodded before hurrying outdoors.

"Then that just leaves us." Makarov observed, looking to Natsu, Happy, Gohan, and Lucy.

"Let's end this!" Natsu roared.

"Aye Sir!" Happy cheered.

Gohan extend a hand to the fire wizard, who quickly took hold of it. Happy latched onto his pink haired friend's back while Lucy wrapped an arm around the Salamander's free arm.

"Remember," Makarov told the group as he stepped closer, "We're giving Jose a chance to surrender peacefully first."

The other four nodded before the wizard saint grabbed Gohan's pant leg and disappeared with the rest of the group.

Makarov, Gohan, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy appeared in the center of Jose Porla's throne room. Standing in front the throne and staring at what was left of it was the Phantom Lord himself, who barely reacted to the noise of the group's sudden appearance.

"I was wondering when you'd come for me," Porla stated, turning slowly to face the group, "Makarov."

"And you," the man added with venom in his voice, "Gohan."

"I'm glad you remembered my name." Gohan replied humorlessly.

"How could I not?" Porla remarked, "You're the one that killed one of my favorite wizards and destroyed my precious seat."

"I'm sorry about Sol. I did not mean to kill him." Gohan apologized, "But I'm not sorry about everything else."

"Where is he?" Gohan demanded, not allowing Porla a response, "Where is Edo?"

"They've probably left by now." Jose answered solemnly, "And they'd take that infernal device with them if they're as smart as I think."

"The weapon!" Lucy blurted out.

"Do you know what it is?" Gohan questioned.

"Perhaps." The former saint answered cryptically.

"You are in no position to be difficult, Jose." Makarov reminded the man.

"On the contrary," Jose argued, "Being difficult is the only position I have left."

"That's not true." Lucy told him, "We can help you if you let us."

"Lucy Heartfilia, I'm immensely impressed at your genuine kindness, but are you going to give me my guild back?" Jose demanded, "Or let me keep my freedom?"

"We might not pound your face in!" Natsu retorted, "How about that?!"

"And then there's the Salamander, angry as ever." Porla remarked.

"I'm angry 'cause I remember what you did to my friends!" Natsu growled back, "And they're the only ones stopping me from burning you to a crisp right now, so you better listen to them!"

"I am listening to them, you pea brained lizard." Porla snapped back, smirking when he saw Natsu become angrier, "I'm just deciding not to cooperate."

"Don't do this, Jose." Makarov pleaded forcefully, "No one else has to get hurt."

"You're a fool if you truly believe that, Makarov." Jose quipped, "Do you know what I did the moment I returned to this place?"

"I swore that I'd never be humiliated by Fairy Tail ever again." He elaborated, "And if I were, I'd take as many Fairies with me before I fall."

"Jose..." Makarov began to warn the man, but was interrupted.

"I don't plan on leaving my guild, not again." Porla continued, "This war has only begun."

Before any of the Fairy Tail members could respond, several shades launched themselves at the five from multiple directions. Gohan shoved Makarov aside to let the attack hit him, knowing he would be unaffected. Natsu shoved Lucy out the way before realizing he had no time to defend himself, and three phantoms flew straight through him before vanishing like the rest.

"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy shouted as the fire wizard fell to one knee. Lucy hurriedly stood back up and ran to her friend's side just as Happy flew down to them.

At the same instant, Jose tried to use the diversion to turn and flee, but was cut off by Gohan.

"Are you okay?" Lucy questioned him, forgetting they were in the middle of a fight.

"I'm fine, Luce." Natsu replied, "Worry about me later."

"Are you going to hurt me like you did Aria?" Jose demanded as Gohan held him by his collar, doing his best to hide his fear, "For attacking your friends?"

"No." Gohan replied, letting go of the former saint's clothing, "I'm going to let my friends hurt you."

Gohan suddenly disappeared, only for Porla to see Natsu was directly behind the Saiyan.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu roared before landing his punch directly into Jose's stomach, sending the man flying over his crumbled throne.

"That had to hurt." Happy stated, floating next to Natsu as Lucy ran to their side.

The Phantom Lord responded by laughing to himself as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Not bad, Salamander." Jose complimented as he walked around the remains of his stone seat, "But I'm afraid you're going to have to hit me harder than that if you wish to live."

"Fine! Let's try this!" Natsu replied, "Fire Dragon Roar!"

The red and orange flames spiraled towards their target, who reacted by lazily waving his right arm in front of himself. The resulting purple explosion met the fire hallway, making Lucy and Happy shield their eyes from the blast. Natsu did not bother to let the smoke clear before diving into it, hoping to catch Porla off guard. The smoke had not faded in any way when a second explosion occurred. The four members of Fairy Tail watched as a purple beam of magic carried Natsu backwards and sent him crashing through the wall and into the hallway.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, totally caught off guard when more shades came flying her way as Happy shot off to aid the fire mage.

"Lucy!" A new voice suddenly shouted as its owner grabbed her and dove out the shades' path.

"Thanks, Loke." Lucy said as the well-dressed spirit helped her up.

"Anything for you." Leo replied, turning to face Jose as the smoke finally cleared, "It looks like it's our turn to fight."

As Lucy was agreeing with Loke, Gohan and Makarov were standing to the side and watching.

"They can do this." Gohan said reassuringly, seeing the disgruntled look on his master's face.

"I believe in them." Makarov agreed, watching a Lucy activated her celestial whip, "But I don't like watching my children fight my battles."

"We don't know where Edo and Zancrow are right now." Gohan reminded the man as Loke blocked another beam that was directed at Lucy, "And they could both be stronger than Porla. If they show up, we need you at full strength to fight them with me."

Makarov nodded before Gohan felt Videl's ki spike for an instant.

"They found something." He informed his master as he put two fingers to his head, "I'll be right back."

Gohan disappeared just as Natsu reentered the fight, swatting aside another purple beam that had been directed at Lucy before landing between her and Loke.

"Good to see you're back up." Leo remarked as he quickly glanced at Natsu.

"I wasn't going to let you and Lucy have all the fun." Natsu joked as he stared down the former saint.

"If you think this is fun," Jose stated, having heard the brief conversation, "Then you're going to really enjoy what comes next."

Downstairs…

Gohan appeared in the storage room next to Videl and Pantherlily.

"Gohan!" Videl greeted, somewhat excited, "Gajeel says he's found something."

"Where is he?" The demi-Saiyan questioned, looking around for said wizard. He got his answer when a rather large pile of crates in the back of the room collapsed. The three cringed as the sound of lacrima shattering filled the room.

"My bad." Gajeel apologized as he appeared from atop the wreckage.

"At least we can tell Erza we've recovered what was stolen from the kingdom." Lily added, "Most of it anyway."

"Videl says you found something." Gohan cut straight to the point, "Is this it?"

"Part of it." Gajeel replied, hopping behind the pile, "Get over here."

Gohan followed the wizard while Videl and Lily remained where they were.

"I think I found the place that creep's been working." Gajeel explained as Gohan saw the man opening a panel in the floor, "Maybe we'll find the weapon down here."

"That's not likely." Gohan answered as he followed Gajeel down the hole, "Porla just told me that Edo and Zancrow probably already ran off with it."

"That doesn't surprise me." the wizard remarked before trying to find his bearings, "Rgh, I can't see crap down here."

"Here." Gohan replied, creating a bright blue aura around himself and illuminating the tunnel.

"Show off." Gajeel joked before heading for the only door in the entire tunnel.

"Wait." Gohan instructed just before Gajeel opened the door, "Let me go first."

"And possibly risk letting someone ambush our strongest fighter?" Gajeel argued, "Not a chance, lightbulb."

Gohan was about to insist when a voice spoke to them from seemingly every direction.

"Allow me to solve this dilemma." The dark voice said politely before the door swung open on its own, with Gohan's light only allowing them to see about a foot into the room. Up the ladder, Videl and Lily suddenly grew concerned as a dark mist obscured the pile of crates from sight.

"Gohan!" the two could hear Videl call out, "Are you guys okay?!"

"We're fine!" Gajeel answered, "Someone's just playing games with us!"

"That I am." The voice replied, "But where are my manners? Please, come inside."

"Doesn't look like we have much of a choice." Gajeel remarked as the two heard the floor panel above close itself. Gohan walked ahead of Gajeel and entered the room first, looking around only to see the engulfing darkness.

"Where are you, Edo?" Gohan demanded, frustrated that he was unable to see.

"You may want to turn off the lights if you wish to see me." Edo instructed, "I have cast a spell on this room that rejects all light unless it comes from a source I desire it to. For right now; the brighter you shine, the darker the room becomes."

As soon as Gohan's aura faded, the two saw the dark wizard was not lying and that they could now see slightly farther ahead than before.

"I still can't see you, Edo." Gohan stated.

"Allow me." the dark wizard replied, and blue flames appeared around the room, partially illuminating it. The flames momentarily caught the two's attention, but it was the thing at the far end of the room that caught their attention.

"The Devil's Heart." Gohan declared as he and Gajeel stared at the massive source of magical power.

"Very good, Gohan." Edo said as he materialized behind Gohan with a hand on the Saiyan's shoulder, "You have been doing your research."

Gohan attempted to grab the man's wrist, but only felt a mist-like substance that his fingers glided through.

"No, no, no, Gohan." Edo taunted as he materialized in front of the Devil's Heart, "That's not how this game is played. Not yet anyway."

"That hood again?" Gajeel questioned, "When do you plan on showing your face?"

"Soon, my shadow eating friend." Edo answered before smirking at Gajeel's slight surprise, "Yes, I too watched the Grand Magic Games. What a spectacle that was! And that ending!"

"Who would have known the capital city would be almost completely destroyed by some time travelling dragons?" Edo finished with a chuckle, "Well, besides me, of course."

"You claim to know everything." Gohan stated, "So why does someone like you find it fun to play games when you already know how they're going to end?"

"I don't know how every game I play is going to end." Edo informed the demi-Saiyan, "Seeing into the future is not as easy as seeing into the past or watching what's happening this very moment. But some moments are unchangeable, unavoidable."

"Like fate?" Gajeel questioned, "What a load of crap."

"Even when they've been wrong," Edo explained, "My shadows have never lied. I knew you were working for Fairy Tail before you even arrived. I'm even the one that brought Gohan to join Fairy Tail."

"You did that?" Gohan demanded, "Why?"

"Because my shadows told me your story." Edo explained, "I have to say, the way you reacted to 16's death was so terrifying and heartwarming at the same time."

"Who's 16?" Gajeel asked, totally confused. He turned to see Gohan was glaring directly at Edo, clearly not in the mood to answer.

"And that wedding…" Edo continued, "You and Videl truly are an adorable couple. It would make sense you'd marry the strongest woman on your planet, not to mention one of the most beautiful."

Gohan wanted to rip the man's head off at the mention of his wife, but he knew the effort would have been futile at the moment.

"Don't worry, though." Edo added with a wink, "I didn't care to watch _everything_. Sometimes things like that are better left to the imagination, if you know what I mean."

"He's talking about your sex life, right?" Gajeel asked for clarification, and Gohan nodded irritably.

"Sorry." Gajeel quickly apologized, "I'm just trying to understand anything he's saying."

"The point is, Son Gohan," Edo continued, "I've seen your entire life. But there was one moment in it that intrigued me far more than any of the others: the moment you became a god."

"Why do you care about that?" Gohan demanded, "And why aren't you interested in my father then? Or Vegeta?"

"Because they bore me." Edo answered easily, "And they're not as intelligent. Someone like you would understand me better."

"Understand you?" Gohan questioned, "I didn't realize you wanted to be friends."

"Ha, no. We'll be enemies, I promise." Edo explained with a sarcastic laugh, "Rivals, even."

"Why?" Gohan replied, confused.

"For ages I've searched unsuccessfully for someone to rival me in skill, strength, and smarts." The dark wizard explained, "I'm immortal, you see, and life gets somewhat boring when you know there's no end to it."

"So you want to fight someone that has a chance of killing you?" Gohan asked, "Just because you're bored?"

"It's not that simple." Edo answered, "That's more the Dragon King's style than it is mine."

"Acnologia?" Gajeel questioned.

"That is correct." Edo replied, "And I think he'll be very pleased to know that people still associate him with that moniker."

"You know where Acnologia is?" Gohan asked.

"That's a very stupid question from a very intelligent man." Edo remarked, "Of course I know where Acnologia is, he's a very old friend of mine. The same goes for Zeref."

"But that's a subject for a later discussion," Edo continued, "You see, I do want a fight that may kill me; but I want it to have meaning as well. Not just for me or my opponent, but for entire worlds; and maybe a universe or two."

"You're insane." Gohan declared.

"That I am." Edo agreed, "My screws came loose some hundred years ago, but that was another time and another world. The only thing I have left of that place is my clothes, my flames, and my insanity. What I have here is so much more."

"And what do you have here?" Gohan asked, "Weapons and henchmen? Scary magic that only lets you hide or spy?"

"Yes." Edo answered, "And much more."

"If you have all this stuff," Gohan inquired, "Then why aren't we fighting yet? Why does Porla think you and Zancrow have run off with this weapon?"

"Oh, we did 'run off'." Edo explained to the demi-Saiyan, "But after I saw the nasty trick you pulled on the dark wizards here, I felt like coming back to aid these pitiful mortals."

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, suddenly getting worried.

"I mean that my weapon has not been properly tested yet." Edo answered with a menacing laugh, "Well, this weapon anyways."

Gohan and Gajeel watched as Edo turned his back to them to begin pressing buttons on the large control panel. The next instant, the Devil's Heart was glowing an ominous red, and the two could see the outline of a large heart in the center of the device.

Gajeel acted quickly, jumping towards the dark wizard before throwing everything he could muster into one attack.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" He yelled before firing his attack straight for the center of the heart. Both he and Gohan blinked in confusion when the dragon slayer's magic went straight through it before it reformed.

"That was a decent attempt." Edo complimented as he worked on the machine, "But I can make whatever I want a part of the shadows as long as it's engulfed in darkness. You can't touch me or this thing while we're in here."

"So let's take this outside." Gajeel suggested, "Winner keeps the prized heart in a jar."

"You enthusiasm is inspiring, Black Steel Gajeel," Edo replied with a smirk, "But neither you nor Gohan are ready to fight me yet."

Realizing they had no other options, the two watched Edo nervously as he tinkered with his creation.

"Here we are," Edo declared proudly, "I think that worked out the kinks."

"What did you do?" Gohan demanded.

"You see," Edo began as he seemingly ignored Gohan's question, "When Master Hades of Grimoire Heart designed the first Devil's Heart, he created it so that only one man could access its powers, that man being himself. That strategy, though necessary for keeping a dark guild in line, was what failed him in the end. His men were not strong enough to defeat Fairy Tail, and they even failed to protect his greatest creation from three cats. Cats! Can you believe that? Anyway, I examined the flaws in Precht's design; and I perfected it. This machine can provide any number of people I so desire with almost god-like magic power and energy."

Gohan and Gajeel looked nervously at one another.

_Videl! Videl!_ Gohan began trying to communicate telepathically, _Get everyone out of the building, NOW! Retreat!_

"Hades believed he had harnessed the One Magic inside his Devil's Heart," Edo continued, "But I laugh at his ignorance. He failed to realize that it's not devils that are the source of this great power; because it's the darkness itself that creates the devils. Only the darkness is stronger than the demon, and only in the heart of that darkness is the true power found!"

"Allow me to introduce to you my precious creation, one that has been an eternity in the making," Edo concluded, turning to face Gohan with his arms open dramatically, "The Dark Heart!"

The heart in the center of the machine began to glow a bright blue, like the flames of the room that began to dim as a new light source removed the need for them.

"No way…" Gohan said to Gajeel, "This is using magic… and ki…"

"Ki?" Gajeel questioned, not bothering to hide his nervousness.

"Just like he said… Energy…" Gohan explained, pointing to himself, "It's what I use to fight."

At that instant, Gajeel could only think of one proper response, "Shit…"

Five minutes earlier…

Videl and Lily were becoming concerned. Almost as soon as Gohan and Gajeel went behind those crates, this strange black mist obscured the pile from sight before eventually spreading halfway across the room. Getting impatient, the Exceed attempted to fly into the dark mist, but only bounced off with a yelp and a soft thud.

"Are you okay?" Videl asked, kneeling next to the feline as he sat up.

"I'm fine." Lily answered as he rubbed the side of his head. Videl moved closer to the dark barrier, reaching out a hand to touch it.

"I wouldn't do that, Videl." Lily warned her, pointing to his right ear when she faced him, "This stuff burns."

"Well, we have to do something." Videl replied, "I can't feel either Gohan or Gajeel's energy anymore, like something's stopping me."

"Do you think I should get some help?" Lily asked.

"That might be a good idea." Videl agreed, "But let's see if we can stick to the plan first."

"What are you going to do?" Lily questioned. Videl responded by turning sideways and aiming an open palm at the dark and mysterious substance.

"You may want to move." She warned before firing a ki blast directly into the center of the barrier. The two were instantly confused when Videl's attack went straight through the barrier and exploded against an unknown surface.

"Yeah." Videl said quietly, "We're gonna need some help here."

Upstairs…

Jellal was expecting for strange events to occur today, but he was not expecting one of them would involve running with Erza, Merudy, Gray, and Trunks as they avoided being destroyed by a brilliant orange, purple, and yellow explosion that decimated the ceiling. Jellal ordered a hasty retreat as soon as the first beam of light shone through the ceiling, and he saw Natsu falling from above just before he crossed the doorway on his way out. At the current moment, Jellal, Merudy, Gray, and Erza were catching their breath in the last intact stairwell the building had.

"This building's falling apart." Merudy remarked between pants, hearing the rumbling cease.

"I thought that throne room couldn't get any more messed up." Gray added with a huff, "But I forgot that Natsu was here."

"I should have seen that coming." Jellal stated, noticing Erza seemed concerned.

"Where's Trunks?" Erza questioned, counting only four people in the stairs.

"Over here!" the demi-Saiyan called from the hallway.

The four ran out to be greeted by midday sunlight as they discovered that the entire top of the headquarters had been removed. They also saw Trunks standing in the center of a pile of debris with Makarov, Lucy, Happy, and an unconscious Natsu.

"Are any of you injured?" Erza questioned as her group hurried to the five.

"Natsu is." Lucy said worriedly as she knelt over her friend, "He's out cold."

"What happened?" Erza demanded.

"What did it look like?" Lucy asked rhetorically, "Natsu, Loke, and I were fighting Master Jose when we caused a giant explosion."

"Wake up, Natsu!" Happy pleaded.

"I was able to grab Lucy and Happy when they fell through the ceiling," Trunks stated, "And I used my energy to protect us."

"Thanks for that, by the way." Lucy replied and Trunks nodded in acknowledgement.

"I was able to protect Natsu from serious harm," Makarov explained, "But I believe the explosion was what rendered him unconscious. Either way, he was out when I pulled us from the wreckage."

"And where's Porla?" Gray questioned, "Do you think that blast took him out?"

"That's not likely." Makarov answered, "That man is stronger than he looks."

As if on cue, rubble could be heard moving from only a few feet away before a purple light erupted from under the debris, revealing a still-standing former wizard saint when the smoke cleared.

"Makarov, was that a compliment I just heard?" Porla asked with a wicked grin as he walked closer. Erza immediately changed to her Black Wing Armor, gripping its corresponding blade with both hands and staring intensely at the dark wizard.

"I knew Fairy Tail would come for me." Jose stated, staring directly at Jellal as he spoke, "But I never expected the infamous Crime Sorciere would join them. I thought the black wizard Zeref was your sworn enemy."

"Zeref may be our primary concern," Jellal answered, "But you made this personal when you ordered one of your men to attack me the other night."

"I see that was a mistake now." Porla replied, "I should have told Aria to kill you."

Jellal saw Erza's hands tighten their grip on her sword out the corner of his eye. The next moment, Erza watched in surprise as Jellal stepped directly in front of her.

"Protect your friends." He ordered her, "I will take Porla down myself."

In the recovery room…

When they had entered the room, a few of the healthier occupants of the room tried to fight; but they were quickly subdued by Juvia's water lock. After everyone in the room surrendered to the members of Fairy Tail, Goten, Wendy, Charle, Elfman, Lisanna, and Juvia spread out across the room with Elfman standing guard at the door. A few minutes later, the group was still in the room, anxiously awaiting news from the other groups. The only indication something was going on was the loud rumbling of a fight taking place somewhere upstairs.

"I hope everyone's okay." Wendy thought aloud, standing in the back right corner with Goten and Charle.

"I'm sure they are." Charle assured the girl.

"Gohan's helping." Goten reminded her, "There's no way this plan will go wrong."

The conversation was ended when a dark circle suddenly formed on the wall across from the three, next to Lisanna.

"Look out, Lisanna!" Juvia warned as Elfman dashed to grab his sister. Only Goten had the reflexes to see what happened next. The black circle on the wall suddenly expanded outward, like flames from an explosion, engulfing Lisanna as Elfman tackled her. At the same time, Goten gently shoved Wendy and Charle into their corner before shielding himself with a field of ki.

The two Strauss' broke through the wall, landing on the rough rock outside the headquarters.

"Are you okay, Lisanna?!" Elfman demanded from her as he let her go to stand up.

"I'm fine, big brother." She answered as he helped her up and she dusted herself off.

"That's good." He replied, and Lisanna noticed he winced as he spoke.

"But are you okay?" She questioned, "Was that shade magic we just avoided?"

"I'm fine, but it wasn't shade magic." Elfman answered slowly, "And only one of us avoided it."

Elfman fell forward, and Lisanna saw, to her horror, that her brother's entire back was scorched.

"ELF!" She shouted, but the rest of her group did not hear her. They were too busy dealing with a new problem.

"Hello, Juvia!" A red eyed, long-yellow-haired mage cackled, "It's strange, but I somehow knew you'd be here!"

"Zancrow." Juvia replied, "We thought you and your true master had fled with your machine."

"You didn't think I'd leave without saying good bye, did you?" He joked, "No, Master Edo and I have much more in mind than keeping one weapon to ourselves."

"That may be true," Juvia remarked, "But why are you here in the recovery room? There's nothing of value here."

"On the contrary, Juvia." Zancrow stated, "There's you."

Downstairs…

Gohan and Gajeel stared at Edo as he laughed hysterically.

"I'm sorry." He apologized as he recovered from his laughing fit, "I just never imagined you'd make this so easy."

"What are you talking about?" Gohan demanded.

"You brought me my last test subject, you brilliant fool!" Edo laughed.

"What?" Gajeel questioned.

"I have something to ask you, Gajeel." Edo said, "When you fought Gohan, or Cel Rhea, why did you hold back?"

Gajeel looked apprehensively at Edo.

"I told you I saw the Grand Magic Games, did I not?" Edo continued, "I know about your new power. Are you keeping it for a special occasion?"

"What is he talking about, Gajeel?" Gohan asked, but Gajeel was too busy to answer.

"Tch!" Gohan heard the Iron Dragon Slayer complain, "I can't move!"

Gohan was watching as Gajeel unsuccessfully struggled to do anything.

"What the hell?!" Gajeel yelled.

"You want to move, Gajeel?" Edo questioned, "Here, let me help you."

Edo waved a hand lazily, and Gohan just barely managed to duck away as Gajeel tried to punch him in the side of the head.

"What's going on, Gajeel?" Gohan asked. The only answer he got; however, was a kick aimed for his stomach. Gohan caught Gajeel's leg before shoving the wizard backwards.

"Do something!" Gajeel demanded.

"Allow me to explain what is happening." Edo chipped in, "You've heard of the Grand Magic Games, right? Well, during the final round, our friend Gajeel ate another dragon slayer's shadow magic."

"What?" Gohan said in confusion, though Edo ignored him.

"Ever since the games, Gajeel has the power to become an Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer." The dark wizard told Gohan, "A way more powerful ability than his simple Iron Dragon magic."

"Iron Shadow?" Gohan repeated, slowly connecting the dots.

"There's a darkness that has seeped into Gajeel's iron." Edo continued, "One that I can control."

"I've connected three other wizards to this device, I let you figure out who," Edo informed the two, "But I wanted to ask you something, answer my questions; maybe I'll answer yours, deal?"

"It's not like we're going anywhere." Gajeel fought to respond. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever heard of Lost Magic?" Edo questioned.

"It's ancient magic, right?" Gohan replied, "I've been told a little about it. Rare magic and spells dating back ages ago. Dragon Slayer Magic was supposed to be Lost."

"It is, but it does seem pretty popular at the moment; despite its category." Edo remarked, "How many Dragon Slayers are there in Fiore? Or God Slayers?"

"Seven Dragon Slayers." Gohan answered, "But I only know about three God Slayers, not counting your fried Rhea."

"There's other kinds of Lost Magic in Earthland as well," Edo explained, "But there's one thing they all have in common: they're here for a reason."

"What reason?" Gohan asked.

"Someone wanted them here." Edo continued, "Think about it? Why would dragons, the _last _dragons, waste their time raising and protecting human children when they could be looking for a way to save themselves?"

"Could be looking? To save themselves?" Gajeel demanded, "What do you mean?"

"That's something for you and Metalicana to discuss, I'm afraid." Edo answered, "But my point is, they passed on their magic because someone has to defeat Acnologia someday. Ever heard of the Book of Zeref? His demons and magic are everywhere, all of it Lost; ancient magic from ages passed. You'll love it when you do find him, by the way; he's got a dramatic side to him, a little different than mine, but it's there, you'll see. That's if you don't meet his demons first, they're an interesting bunch. Yet, even they have a reason for existing."

"Are you getting somewhere with this?" Gajeel questioned.

"There are only three ways this world works," Edo elaborated, "There's the way Acnologia wants it, a warrior's world with a slightly entertaining festival every year; then there's the way Zeref 'needs' the world to be; and finally, there's how it is now, the way I want it to be: Weak."

"These two insane men, Zeref and Acnologia," Edo ranted, "They want everyone to fight until they're either stopped or there's no one left to fight them, and it's only a matter of time before they make their moves. They want the world strong, but what good is power if you can't control it?"

"Are you saying that you think only a few people should have power?" Gohan asked.

"You're family knows that best." Edo replied, "Why else would you live in secrecy on Earth? Couldn't you teach humans to fight like you? You know, the way you taught your wife? Or your brother and his, heh, girlfriend?"

"Wendy's learning to fight like you?" Gajeel questioned the demi-Saiyan.

"We don't tell people who we are because we want to live normal lives like everyone else." Gohan replied to Edo, ignoring Gajeel, "And we don't need help protecting Earth."

"Exactly." Edo agreed, "And that's what I'm doing here. I can defeat Zeref AND Acnologia. I can protect Earthland, but there's only one way to make sure it stays protected."

"You want to rule it, not protect it." Gohan quipped.

"With my own 'Z fighters', what's the point of a Magic Council, or a kingdom's army?" Edo half-joked, gesturing to his Dark Heart, "That's just a metaphor, though; I won't actually call them Z fighters."

"You'd be a tyrant." Gohan argued.

"I'd be a God, crushing any resistance to my rule with ease; one the whole universe will know and fear." Edo corrected before smirking and adding, "Remember when I said that I wanted our fight to matter?"

"So then let's fight." Gohan stated, "We can end this right now."

"I'm glad that you're eager to fight me, really," Edo replied, "But I'm afraid that's not how this is going to work. First, I want to see that you are as powerful as I think you are, and my new friend Gajeel is going to help me with that."

"Now, Gajeel, this might hurt a little." Edo warned, pushing a final button on the nearby control console. Gajeel suddenly screamed in pain, doubling over as black lighting appeared to crackle around his body. For a moment, Gohan thought the electricity was magic, until he noticed the extreme growth in Gajeel's ki.

"Do you feel your power, Gajeel?" Edo questioned before looking aside, "Well, it's actually my power; but you know, how is it?"

"This is nuts." Gajeel replied, surprised he did not have to fight to answer, "I've never felt anywhere near this strong before."

"That's because I've given you power rivalling that of a god's." Edo explained, "And the magic to kill one."

"Don't do this, Edo." Gohan pleaded forcefully.

"Oh, come on, Gohan." Edo teased, "Don't start acting weak now."

"Grr…" Gajeel struggled, "You better hope Gohan beats the crap out of me, 'cause if I get out of this; I'm gonna kill you."

Gohan glared angrily at Edo, "You will pay for this."

"Eh, I doubt it." Edo taunted before he blended in with the dark room, his voice now echoing around the room, "Now, Gajeel, as the newest member of my Shadow Squad, your first job is this: kill Son Gohan, or die trying."


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Trap

Erza, Lucy, and Makarov were staring at Jellal with some concern when Porla laughed at the blue-haired wizard.

"I saw how powerful you are the other night." Porla reminded Jellal, "And I don't think you're anywhere near enough to defeat me."

"Is that why you attacked me by surprise?" Jellal quipped sarcastically, "Because I'm not a threat? You lost this battle the moment you sent your man after me."

"If you lose here, you will die." Porla warned him, walking closer to him. Jellal was about to reply when Jose suddenly stopped moving. The next moment, the group watched as black electricity sparked and crackled around Jose Porla. Almost immediately after the electricity appeared, the Phantom Lord doubled over and howled in pain.

"Black Lightning?" Erza questioned to herself.

"Why is he screaming?!" Merudy yelled over the dark wizard's howling.

Lucy looked between her friends, and she saw Trunks shaking his head.

"What is it Trunks?" She asked the demi-Saiyan; but before he could answer, Porla began laughing maniacally.

"You're all going to die." Jose declared as he knelt in the rubble. Standing up, he spoke again, "I'm going to kill all of you."

Trunks , who had been standing next to Lucy, Gray, Happy, and the passed out Natsu as he watched the entire exchange, was also using his ki sense. He could feel the change in Porla.

Within an instant, Trunks dashed past Lucy, Gray, Makarov, Erza, and then Merudy before appearing at Jellal's right side with the Brave Sword drawn and pointed at Porla with both hands.

"What are you doing?" Jellal demanded from the demi-Saiyan, but Porla interrupted them.

"The weapon… it works." He chanted aloud, "It works… and he gave me its power…"

"I'm fighting him with you!" Trunks informed Jellal, "He's way stronger than he looks. That lightning, it's made him stronger."

"How?" Lucy and Merudy questioned.

"The Devil's Heart must have been activated." Jellal answered, "That's 'the weapon'."

"I'm fighting as well." Makarov added, walking up to Jellal's left.

"As you wish." Jellal replied before looking to Erza and Merudy.

"Get everyone out the building." He commanded them, "The rest of this place is not going to last for long."

Erza and Merudy both hesitated before they saw Gray pickup Natsu, grab Lucy by the arm, and start running with Happy following.

"We need to move!" the ice wizard told everyone else before Erza nodded and followed with Merudy in tow. The two stopped in confusion when they saw Gray had ran towards the edge of the building, but they understood when they watched him form an ice slide off the building. Unceremoniously chucking Natsu down the slide, he turned to Lucy, who was loudly asking him why he threw Natsu off the building.

"All the stairways are destroyed and this is the quickest way down." He answered as he showed her the slide, "It's also because I'm not leading you downstairs. I'm staying up here to fight."

"But we might need your help." Lucy argued, "I'd think that the Master, Trunks, and Jellal are strong enough to deal with one guy."

"YOU"RE ALL DEAD!" Porla suddenly roared before the entire area was blanketed by purple and black explosions. Reacting on instinct, Gray shoved Lucy onto the slide before Erza made a similar move, throwing Merudy ahead before grabbing Gray and jumping into the slide with him.

Jellal and Makarov on the other hand, had brace themselves for the impact of the blasts before they suddenly noticed Trunks had placed a ki barrier around them.

"This is not the same magic that Master Precht used." Makarov informed the two, "This magic is different."

"It's not just magic." Trunks added, "He's got energy too."

"This makes things interesting." Jellal remarked.

Downstairs…

"Me?" Juvia questioned, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm here to get you, Juvia." Zancrow explained, "You're wanted somewhere else."

"Juvia isn't going anywhere!" She argued.

"You're coming with me whether you want to or not." He retorted, brandishing a strange black orb, "My Master has plans for you."

"Get away from her!" Wendy and Goten screamed at him.

"You use fire magic." Juvia stated, "What good will you do against a water wizard?"

"You haven't seen my fire," Zancrow replied with a grin, "Or the power my Master's weapon gives me."

Wendy watched and felt as the air around Zancrow came to life with black flames and electricity.

"His ki!" Goten yelled out before racing to stand between Zancrow and Juvia.

Zancrow saw Goten moving, and he delivered a firm back-handed swat that sent Goten rolling away as soon as the demi-Saiyan was in reach.

"Stay out of this!" Zancrow barked at the demi-Saiyan, "You aren't meant to die yet."

"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy shouted.

"You again?" Zancrow joked as he turned to face her before lazily meeting her spell with a punch.

"What feeds fire, little girl? Flame God's Explosive Flame!" He shouted as Wendy watched the fire burn through her spell until it exploded in front of her. Wendy and Charle were slammed into the wall by the blast before falling hard onto the floor.

Upstairs…

Trunks attacked first, wanting to see how strong Jose Porla was. Instead, Trunks discovered the man's speed as the Phantom Lord easily dodged his punch before blasting him aside. Trunks was able to get his sword in front of the blast, but the impact sent him skidding back.

"That was close." Trunks stated before turning to Jellal and Makarov, "Watch out, he's fast!"

"Meteor." Jellal chanted, slowly taking his cloak and hood off as the air around his body began to glow.

"Do you think a little light show is going to save you?" Jose taunted before firing another purple blast at Jellal, aiming for his head. He was surprised to see Jellal dodge it, and more surprised when Makarov drew a magic circle that shot dozens of beams of light towards him. The resulting explosions covered the area in smoke once again.

"You'll have to do better than that, Makarov!" Jose roared through the smoke; and Jellal answered for Makarov, charging into the smoke.

"How about this?!" Jellal shouted, appearing in Porla's line of sight when his fist was inches away from the dark wizard's face.

Trunks had taken advantage of the cover from the smoke, moved outside it, and walked around it until he found a good spot behind Porla. Waiting for a decent chance to strike, he found it when he saw Porla flying backwards towards him. Throwing his sword into the air, Trunks shoved both hands in front and aimed them at Porla.

"Double Buster!" He yelled, and the massive yellow beam exploded on contact with Jose. Jellal saw the man getting blasted back toward him, and he easily dodged Porla as he flew past. When he looked back to watch Jose fly, he saw Makarov smash the man into the ground with the bottom of a giant fist. Looking back to Trunks, Jellal watched the demi-Saiyan catch his sword with nothing but the sheath strapped to his back.

"That was cool." Trunks said proudly.

"Well done." Jellal complimented before turning back to face Makarov, "But don't lose focus. This fight isn't over yet."

In the Shadow of the World…

Gohan side stepped a roar from Gajeel, jumping back when Gajeel tried cut him in two with a swing of his sword-like arm.

"You have to fight it, Gajeel!" Gohan yelled as he landed, "I don't want to hurt you!"

Gajeel replied by throwing five kunai at him, which bounced lazily off Gohan's ki barrier.

"I know you're in there, Gajeel!" Gohan shouted, "Don't let him win!"

"But Gohan," Edo chipped in, "I've already won. At this point, you're trying to keep people alive, not fight."

"Sometimes you have to fight to save lives." Gohan replied before his hair and eyes changed to a bright red.

"It's about time." Edo mumbled to himself before he looked to Gajeel, "Kill him."

Gajeel fired another roar at Gohan, who caught the spell with both hands before causing it to explode. Gohan only had a second to react as Gajeel launched through the smoke with his Iron Dragon's Club. Gohan brought a hand up to catch the attack, but watched as Gajeel's entire body became shadow before passing around him. Gohan felt the shadows move across his skin and clothes, only staring as Gajeel reformed behind him and swung for his head. Gohan ducked out the way before trying to land an uppercut to Gajeel's stomach; but the Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer became a shadow once again, one that Gohan's fist went through without resistance.

"You can't hurt him here, Gohan." Edo informed the Super Saiyan God, "Not that way, at least."

Gajeel reformed a few feet in front of Gohan, who was remembering the spells Edo had cast on the room. One that was the most inconvenient at the moment was the lack of visibility. Gohan's God Form put off a brilliant red aura, one that the darkness in the room seemed to be actively trying to overwhelm. Gohan could only see inches in front of himself; and at a foot away, the room was pure darkness. Knowing his ki sense was the only way he was going to fight, Gohan closed his eyes in an attempt to find Gajeel. He successfully spotted Gajeel, who was only a few feet ahead and moving fast.

"Masenko Times Ten!" Gohan yelled as he aimed his right palm in Gajeel's direction, and a bright red beam of energy shot out. Gohan felt the blast go flying through Shadow Form Gajeel, and he was confused when he noticed his blast was still travelling. Thinking the room seemed way too small for that to be possible, Gohan began to figure out what was going.

"All your attacks inflict physical damage, Gohan." Edo taunted from his sideline view, "None of that's going to hurt him."

"Maybe." Gohan replied, "But he can't hit me if he's a shadow."

"I wouldn't be sure of that." Edo remarked, and Gohan realized that every attack he tried to catch from or throw at Gajeel, he had felt the shadow as his hands went through it. It felt like he was waving his hand through a mist.

"I thought you wanted to test my strength." Gohan questioned Edo, "I can't do that with your spells in the way."

"You raise a good point." Edo replied, "But then again, I don't care."

In the Phantom Dining Hall…

The sounds of multiple explosions could be heard rumbling through the building, echoing off the walls and the floor as everyone listened.

"What are they doing up there?" Laxus wondered, watching as a chunk of the ceiling came loose and fell. The dark wizard that was underneath it squealed in terror until Laxus easily zapped it out of the air.

"There's noise coming from down the hall as well." Freed remarked as he stood next to Laxus, "Should we investigate it? Someone in Fairy Tail may need our help."

"No," Laxus answered, "If they're a member of Fairy Tail, they can take care of themselves. We're needed here."

"No offense, Laxus," Bickslow chimed in, "But you're not needed here. We are."

"Bickslow's right." Freed continued, "You should be fighting against the God Slayer, not babysitting with us."

"If the Master orders me to be here, then this is where I'm gonna be." Laxus replied to them before turning to his third teammate, "Any progress, Ever?"

"The most I'm going to make." She answered, "Say what you will about dark guilds, but some of these guys are strangely too loyal to their Master."

"Some of them aren't dark wizards." Laxus explained, "As far as the council is concerned, they all are; but some of them were in Phantom before its charter was rejected."

"Talking about the council," Laxus mumbled to himself, "Warren? Can you hear me?"

_Loud and clear, Laxus._

"Tell the council's soldiers that we've taken over most of the building and to start sending men to take our prisoners here, the roof is falling apart and we don't want to be standing around here when it collapses. We're gonna start moving some of them outside."

_Okay. Anything else?_

"Yeah, warn them that there is still fighting going on."

_Will do. I'll try to get them to head over as soon as possible._

"You heard them," Bickslow said to Freed and Evergreen, "Let's get to work."

In the Phantom Recovery Room…

"Wendy!" Goten yelled from the opposite corner from her as he stood up.

"I'd stay down if I were you, Sky Maiden." Zancrow advised her, "The only reason you're not dead is because my Master wants you alive, but you're not that important to him; so stay down."

"Water Slicer!" Juvia called out from behind them, and Zancrow hissed in pain as the water cut straight through his flames and sliced through the side of his left forearm.

Zancrow yelled momentarily before turning back to Juvia and aiming his right palm at her.

"Let me know if this hurts you or not." Zancrow taunted before a dark and massive explosion erupted from his hand and blew out the wall behind Juvia.

"Juvia!" Goten shouted, changing to Super Saiyan 2 before diving at Zancrow.

Goten was greeted by a wall of flame. He flew through the flames blind, missing his target, who countered by kicking Goten in the chest and flinging him further forward. The demi-Saiyan landed roughly outside the headquarters before rolling to a stop a few yards out the window.

"Goten!" He heard Lisanna call from behind him as he got up, "What's happening?!"

"Stay back, Lisanna!" Goten yelled back before launching to return to the fight. When he landed in what was left of the room, Juvia was halfway finished reforming herself from the water that was blasted around the room.

"Physical attacks cannot harm Juvia." She told Zancrow, "Not with her magic."

"I didn't want it to hurt you." Zancrow retorted, pulling out a strange black orb from under his shirt before throwing it at Juvia.

"Catch!" He yelled as Goten raced to snag the orb.

"Flame God's Bellow!" Zancrow roared, and the flame engulfed Goten and Juvia. At the last second, Juvia casted her Water Lock on Goten and threw him out the room, protecting him as best she could from the flames. What she did not notice was the black orb that flew into her still-reforming body.

Wendy was slowly getting up when she saw Juvia's change. Whatever orb Zancrow had used on Juvia, it put out a black cloud that seeped into the water. The water blackened as the darkness worked its way through Juvia's body like a venom. The next thing Wendy saw was Juvia's pain as the water mage screamed, reverting to water in an attempt to escape. Instead of going anywhere, Juvia remained doubled over in pain as she lost control of her body.

"What is this?!" She demanded, seeing the change of color in the water flowing into her, "What did you do to me?!"

"I gave you a lacrima, Juvia." Zancrow answered, "It contains some of the most ancient magic in existence. It's also easy for my Master to control."

"He's controlling me?" Juvia questioned.

"At the moment, yes." Zancrow explained, "You're now linked. Part of the team."

"What team?" She asked.

"The winning one." Zancrow remarked before adding, "Right now, my Master is eliminating Gohan. How strong will Fairy Tail be without their god? Or, how about without their master? Because that moron Porla's taking care of that for us as we speak. Fairy Tail is losing today."

"No one can beat Gohan!" Wendy argued, "Or Master Makarov!"

"She's right!" Juvia added, "We will defeat you."

"No, Juvia." Zancrow corrected, "You mean to say, 'We'll defeat them.' Remember, you're one of us now."

"Fight him, Juvia!" Wendy cheered, "I can help you, just give me some time!"

"It's too late, Sky Maiden, she's already ours!" Zancrow replied, "Juvia, silence her."

Wendy had to dive into the middle of the room to avoid the blades of water that went flying past her. She quickly got to her feet as Goten reappeared behind Zancrow.

"Stop!" The demi-Saiyan yelled, firing a large yellow ki blast from both hands into the dark wizard's back. When the smoke cleared, Goten and Wendy saw Zancrow had not moved an inch. Smirking at the surprised looks on his two opponent's faces, he quickly spun back.

"Flame God's Scythe!" He yelled mid-turn, moving his hands as the handle of a large black scythe materialized. Goten protected himself from the flames with a ki barrier, but the force of Zancrow's attack sent him crashing into the wall.

"Goten!" Wendy yelled before throwing a green ball of energy at Zancrow like a rock. The small orb only gained the dark wizard's attention when it exploded off the back of his head.

"So you do know how to use energy." Zancrow observed as he faced her, "It feels good, doesn't it? My Master showed me how to fight with it not too long ago, training me to fight with this kind of power since he linked me to the Heart. You can feel my energy, can't you? You know the fight you're asking for."

"I don't care how strong you are." Wendy argued, "I'm not letting you hurt my friends!"

"You can't stop me, now stay down." Zancrow replied before blasting her aside with a swipe of his arm. He turned to make his way towards Juvia when he heard Goten powering up behind him.

"You may be strong," Goten declared, "But I can be stronger!"

Zancrow watched as his opponent's hair grew until it was as low as the boy's knees.

"Nice hair." Zancrow joked before firing a large blast into Goten, pushing the Super Saiyan 3 into the corner as the walls cracked upon impact.

"STOP!" Juvia screamed suddenly, and Zancrow, Goten, Wendy, and Charle were all struck by a wave of black water.

Outside, only a few feet away from Goten's fight, Lisanna watched as dark water flowed out the recovery room and ran down the rocky surface outside the building. She was standing there watching for a few minutes, unsure of what to do when she heard Gray behind her.

"What's happening, Lisanna?" He questioned as he, Erza, Lucy, Happy, and Merudy approached. She gasped when she saw Gray was carrying Natsu.

"Don't worry about him." Gray comforted her quickly, "He's just passed out, he'll be fine. What's happening over here?"

"I don't know." She replied, "An explosion went off, Elfman got hurt, Goten said to stay back, and then this."

"Where's Elfman?" Erza questioned, and Lisanna pointed off to her right and answered as the tumult of water ceased,

"I hid him in the shade so I could go find help."

Suddenly, a manic laugh erupted from the room the group of new arrivals was watching.

"That's Zancrow!" Gray shouted, dashing forward without hesitation. When he finally entered the room, Gray saw Juvia and Zancrow standing together over Goten, Wendy, and Charle. All three were unconscious.

"Juvia!" Gray shouted, and Zancrow turned to face the ice mage.

"It's about time you showed up." Zancrow remarked with a laugh, "I needed your help with something."

"Gray!" Merudy yelled as she caught up, "Get away from them!"

She froze when she made eye contact with Zancrow.

"It's true…" She said weakly.

"Meldy?" Zancrow questioned, "I thought you stuck to Jellal Fernandes' side. What are you doing here?"

"I came here to see if you were actually alive." Merudy replied, "And to stop you."

"You can't." Zancrow stated flatly, "You wouldn't. Not if you knew our true goal."

"You're true goal?" Merudy questioned.

"My Master, he plans to destroy Zeref and Acnologia." Zancrow informed the group, "He's been gathering and creating the strongest warriors Earthland has ever seen. You've committed you're life to destroying Zeref, haven't you? We're doing the same; we're trying to protect the world."

"If that's true," Merudy replied, "Then why are you fighting Fairy Tail?"

"Because they're a threat." Zancrow answered honestly.

"People like us, Meldy," Zancrow continued, "We deserve power like this. We could protect people, maybe even let them all become this strong. It would be the Grand Magic World incarnate, but no one without magic has to die."

"Don't listen to this crap! A guy like his master isn't going to share that kind of power!" Gray yelled before getting knocked onto his back by a wave of black ki. Some of Merudy's magical swords materialized; but Zancrow quickly dealt with them, dodging them easily before landing a crippling punch into Merudy's stomach. The pinkette slumped to the floor as she tried to catch her breath.

"Gray! Merudy!" Erza yelled as she appeared, only to slam into some invisible barrier that kept her outside.

"I'm sorry I had to hit you, Meldy." Zancrow told her, "Please, stay down."

Among pain, the other prominent feeling she had was confusion. The Zancrow she remembered never apologized.

"And Juvia?" Zancrow spoke up, getting back to the conversation, "I have an offer for you."

As soon as he was back on his feet, Gray slammed his right fist onto his left palm, readying to strike, when he was hit by a ball of flame and energy that exploded in his face.

"GRAY!" Juvia screamed, hating that she was unable to help him. She watched as Zancrow walked through the smoke before it cleared. As it did, Juvia saw Zancrow standing over a dazed Gray. The Flame God Slayer's hands were raging with fire, waiting to deliver the final blow.

"Join us, and fight with us willingly." Zancrow said, "Swear to do that, and your beloved Gray lives."

"Let him kill me!" Gray shouted, confusing her as he struggled to move under whatever invisible force was holding him down, "Don't give up your life for me!"

"Shut up!" Zancrow yelled, punching Gray's forehead as he did.

"Stop!" Juvia pleaded, seeing Zancrow had pulled his arm back to throw another punch.

"What's it going to be, Juvia?" Zancrow demanded, grabbing Gray by the neck and lifting him up, "I can break his neck right now. I could also burn him, if you want."

"No." Juvia replied, "Don't hurt him."

"No, Juvi- ah!" Gray yelled as Zancrow squeezed his neck to silence him.

"I'll do it!" She shouted, seeing that even her tears were now black-stained water. Outside, Erza began to fear the worst when she saw, heard, and felt the rain beginning to fall. Looking to the sky, she saw that the water was black. Knowing that rain could not have been a good omen, she continued trying to hammer her way through the barrier.

"You'll do what, Juvia?" Zancrow questioned, releasing Gray's neck slightly so he could breathe.

"I'll join you." She answered weakly.

"Erza, help her!" Gray shouted desperately, seeing the red haired Knight trying to get inside.

"She's not going to help." Zancrow retorted before turning to Juvia, "Swear it."

"I swear, I will fight for your master." Juvia declared solemnly, "Just let my love go."

"Anything for my new partner. You can do what you want while I deal with Meldy, say your goodbyes or something." Zancrow replied with a grin, dropping Gray, who landed in a heap on the wet and ruined floor. Feeling that she was able to, she ran to Gray's side and knelt by him.

"Are you okay, my darling?" She questioned. Gray opened his eyes slowly. His vision was hazy; and the pain in his head and around his neck did not help.

"Juvia…" He spoke slowly, "It's over?"

"For now, my love." She replied, and Gray saw she was crying. He surprised her when he reached out for her face with his right hand before touching the tears on her left cheek.

"Why are you crying?" He questioned, and Juvia could tell by his hollow tone that Gray was not all there.

"Because you're hurt, darling." She answered, "And I'm trying to save you."

"Don't." Gray argued, "Don't give anything up for me. Not you too…"

"I'm sorry, Gray-sama." Juvia stated, "But that's not your choice."

Upstairs…

Super Saiyan 2 Trunks jumped to his right as he dodged another purple explosion, landing as he saw Jellal rush Porla. Jose blocked Jellal's first punch before being hit in the side by a massive fist. When Jose recovered from the hit, he looked down to see seven magic seals glowing on the floor and through the black clouds in the sky.

"Grand Chariot!" Jellal called out as he darted over to Trunks, and the area around Jose exploded in bright light.

"Do you see the rain?" Trunks asked the blue-haired mage, trying to ignore the feeling of the floor groaning under him, "Something's weird about it. It's black."

Trunks held a hand out to catch the water, and Jellal saw what Trunks was talking about.

"That's strange." Jellal agreed, but turned away when he heard movement from behind.

"Quit staring at the sky and fight me!" Porla yelled, and the two saw at the last second as ten different shades went flying for them.

Trunks quickly shoved Jellal aside, knowing he would not be hurt. He was shocked to learn he was wrong. Eight of the ten shades made contact with Trunks, and the demi-Saiyan felt as a large part of his energy left his body.

Jellal and Makarov saw Trunks fall to one knee before they blasted the last two shades simultaneously. Looking back to Trunks, they saw the boy's hair return to its normal lavender.

"I didn't know that would hurt me." Trunks remarked, slowly standing up, "This feels weird."

"Look out, Trunks!" Jellal shouted, and Trunks saw as more shades came flying for him.

Planting his feet firmly into the ground, Trunks launched backwards, firing a barrage of ki as he did. He saw he destroyed most of the shades, but he also watched as Makarov and Jellal helped remove the others.

"These shades remove strength as well, it would seem." Jellal observed, "Being hit by too many may prove lethal."

"Have you realized your peril yet?!" Jose demanded, and the three looked to him to see he was standing in a cyclone of shades and slowly advancing with it.

"I'm going to kill you all." Porla stated, "And then these shades will eliminate the rest of your friends."

"And when I've won here," Porla continued, "I'm going to Magnolia and destroying everything that's there. No one will survive!"

"You're not killing anyone, Jose." Makarov replied, "I will see to that, but I can't guarantee your safety if you keep fighting like this."

"My safety? HA!" the Phantom Lord laughed, "You should be more worried about yourself!"

"The dog that barks the loudest always has the smallest bite." Jellal stated, "You're no different."

"I am not a dog!" Porla argued, "I am a Phantom Lord!"

"Double Dead Wave…" Porla chanted, holding both arms out to his sides as shades began to revolve around them. The shades suddenly merged into dark purple spheres in both his hands before he threw his arms towards the three.

"Maximum Defense Seal…" Makarov chanted, drawing symbols in the air with his fingers before the golden seal materialized in front of him and his allies.

Having a moment to spare, Makarov looked to Jellal and Trunks, "We have to end this now."

After that, the spells collided, resulting in the largest explosion yet.

In the Storage Room…

"Are we seriously trapped in here?" Videl questioned, and Pantherlily shrugged. When Videl had agreed with Lily that they needed help, the entire room had suddenly become shrouded in darkness; and the two could not find a way out. For the past few minutes, Videl spent the time pacing nervously while Lily slowly tried to map out the room.

"I can't find an exit." Lily answered.

"We have to!" Videl replied, "Gohan and Gajeel might need our help!"

"I agree," Lily stated, "But we're not going anywhere with this magic in the way."

"I recognize it, I think." Videl said, "It's Edo's. He's trapped us here."

"I think you're right." Lily agreed, "But if that's true, the only way we're escaping is if he lets us go."

"Or if Gohan and Gajeel beat him." She suggested hopefully.

"Either way," Lily added, "It appears that the only thing we can do is wait."

Lily watched as Videl nodded and turned away. Staring into the darkness of the secret entrance, Videl closed her right hand tightly in anger and concern before speaking into the void.

"Gohan…"

In the Shadow…

Edo laughed as he watched Gohan struggling to hit Gajeel. Any time the Super Saiyan God was anywhere close to hitting the Dragon Slayer, Gajeel would change form at the last second. But fortunately for Gohan, Gajeel was too slow to land an attack. Gohan dodged almost all of the Dragon Slayer's attacks, only bothering to block or catch the weakest of attacks that did not turn to shadows before impact.

"Come on, Edo!" Gohan taunted, trying a new tactic, "You're telling me this is the best you're Dark Heart has to offer?!"

"You may act confident," Edo replied, "But I can see you're still struggling. You're not going to trick me into doing something foolish."

"Well, I don't have to do anything for that." Gohan remarked, "You did something stupid when you attacked my friends."

"Oh?" Edo quipped, "I thought it was the best decision I've made in a while; but unfortunately, only one of us can be right."

"I plan on showing you who's right." Gohan declared, and Edo watched in surprise as Gajeel charged at Gohan before slamming a kunai into the Saiyan God's left shoulder. Gohan yelled in pain, and Edo grinned.

The smirk was instantly removed from his face when he saw Gohan's expression straighten.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel." Gohan apologized throwing his right hand in the Dragon Slayer's face. Gajeel did not have enough time to change form before the bright yellow blast struck him and sent him sailing into the darkness.

"Well, that was surprising." Edo remarked as Gohan pulled the kunai out his shoulder and threw it aside, "Very clever, actually."

"It's your turn, Edo." Gohan declared, turning to face the dark wizard.

"I'm afraid you're still wrong." Edo replied, pointing behind the Super Saiyan God. Gohan followed Edo's pointing to see Gajeel charging for them. This time, he was surprised to hear Gajeel yelling.

"Iron God Sword!" The Slayer roared, and the Saiyan flared his ki. The resulting flash of light was bright enough to blind Gajeel; and Gohan spun away from the massive blade at the last instant before delivering one of the strongest punches he could to the side of the Slayer's head, hoping it would not kill Gajeel.

The Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer caught the full impact of the punch. His eyes widened before they rolled back, and then Gajeel fell sideways. Edo watched with interest as Gajeel hit the floor.

"Not bad." The dark wizard complimented, "It seems I do have a good choice in rivals."

"Enough games, Edo." Gohan declared, "It's time we end this."

"I agree, to a degree." Edo replied, "This round is certainly over, but the game is not."

"This isn't a game!" Gohan argued, "People's lives are at stake!"

"That's the only time a game is fun." Edo stated, "When its stakes are at their highest."

"You're sick." Gohan replied.

"I know." Edo agreed with a laugh.

Downstairs…

"Here" Juvia heard Zancrow say from aside, and she looked over to see the Flame God Slayer helping the pinkette stand.

"You're so different from the last time I saw you." Zancrow observed, looking her over as she stood in front of him.

"You look exactly the same." Merudy remarked.

"You used to know I always told you the truth." Zancrow continued.

"Except for hiding the fact that you helped murder my family." Merudy stated.

"We all hid that from you because Ultear told us to." Zancrow explained, "You forgave her for it, and she was the one in charge."

"You tried to kill me." Merudy replied.

"You betrayed us." Zancrow quipped, "I was angry. We all saw how great you would become, and it hurt to find out you were an enemy. I didn't care that Ultear was using you at the time."

"You were hurt?" Merudy joked.

"Everyone has feelings, Meldy." Zancrow remarked, "You know that better than anyone else. And it wasn't like I never had a conscience, you know how I worked."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Zancrow barely heard Erza order him through the barrier. Merudy looked to Erza for help, but saw she was not going to have any soon.

"Do you see how weak Fairy Tail is against us?" Zancrow questioned, "They are not the ally Crime Sorciere needs."

"How are you even here?" Merudy asked, "Zeref killed you."

"My Master can do anything he sets his mind to." Zancrow answered, "But I don't know how he did it. The last thing I remember was holding Zeref, and then I suddenly woke up seven years later, in a void of darkness. That's where I met my Master. He brought me back and gave me a purpose, offered me a chance for revenge and a life. I want you to help me."

Merudy was quiet as she took in his words.

"I know you had some respect for me." Zancrow stated, gently grabbing Merudy by the shoulders, "And you know I respected you."

"I'm asking for your help, Meldy." Zancrow continued, and Merudy was surprised to hear his tone was pleading.

"I-I... I don't know…" She said as she remained frozen in his gaze. Those familiar bright red eyes were still intimidating, but she could see genuine emotion in them as well.

"Everyone in Grimoire Heart did what they did to earn a better life," Zancrow replied, "None of us ever thought of a better way, and Hades was guiding us further into madness. But here, my Master is offering the best way. Anyone that stands against him will die, but you can help us avoid that. If we succeed, no one has to die."

Merudy looked around the room. She saw Wendy passed out on top of Goten with Charle lying next to them, all three were fortunately breathing. She saw Juvia talking quietly to Gray, who looked barely alive; and then she saw Erza slamming a sword against the barrier, still trying to force her way in. After taking in all of her surroundings, Merudy looked back to meet Zancrow's stare, still surprised at how gently he was holding her. She had never thought Zancrow could be gentle with anything.

_Maybe there is a chance._ She thought to herself, and Zancrow watched as a pink band formed around their wrists. The sensations she felt from him were confusing.

_Well, he's not lying. _She observed, _And this warmth, he's sweating… but that doesn't make sense… Is he nervous?_

In an instant, the feelings she was receiving through the sensory link made sense; and Zancrow smirked when he felt Merudy could not come to some form of resolve before the connection broke.

"You're confused, I can tell." He remarked as he released her, "Take your time to think about it, this is not the last time we'll see each other. Juvia, are you ready to go?"

"I am." The water mage replied as she stood up and took one more glance at Gray, who had finally passed out.

A portal appeared on the wall behind Merudy, which Zancrow glanced at before facing Merudy.

"The reunion's over, I guess." Zancrow remarked to his former guildmate, "Help with the wounded here, and think about what I told you, okay?"

Merudy nodded weakly before moving aside to let the two past before hurrying to Gray's side.

Erza watched helplessly as the portal sealed itself behind them before felt the barrier vanish; and she ran into the room as fast as she could.

"He's still alive." Merudy told the Knight as she neared them.

Erza called for Lisanna as loud as possible, who hurried over. The youngest Strauss gasped in shock when she saw what remained of the room and its occupants.

"I'm glad we got the wounded out of here before this happened." Lisanna stated, moving to check on Wendy, Goten, and Charle. However, she was stopped by Erza.

"Meldy and I will bring your brother here and tend to them all." The Knight told her, "You get some help."

"Right." Lisanna said with a nod before running out the room through its usual exit.

In the Shadow…

Gohan was looking over Gajeel, checking to see how badly he had injured him while Edo watched with amusement.

"Ignoring me now, are we?" Edo questioned, "This your new tactic?"

"No." Gohan answered flatly, "But I figure I've got to do something while you waste our time."

"Oh, hehe," Edo chuckled, "I never waste my time."

On cue, Gohan heard Zancrow's voice echo from around the room.

"The plan has worked, Master. We are successful."

"Perfect." Edo replied before flashing Gohan a devilish grin.

"It was excellent meeting you finally, Gohan." Edo stated, "But I'm afraid I must be elsewhere. I've taken what I wanted."

"Taken?" Gohan questioned.

"You'll find out soon enough." Edo answered as he moved to a console attached to the Dark Heart, "There's only one thing left to do here, let's see…"

Upstairs…

The smoke cleared around Jellal, Makarov, and Trunks as the ringing in their ears quieted. The three stared through the mostly dissipated smoke to see the cyclone advancing.

"This guy's serious!" Trunks remarked.

"Jose was always a serious man." Makarov replied.

"And now he's insane." Jellal added, "And I think I know how we can stop him."

"How?" Trunks asked, but Jellal's response came in body language, telling Trunks to be quiet. Jellal then pointed to his head and back to Jose. Trunks was confused until he heard Jellal.

_Keep your eyes on him._ Jellal instructed telepathically. Trunks nodded and did as he was told.

_We can't get through those shades, neither can our attacks. _He continued, _But Trunks' sword might work._

_You want me to throw it at him? _Trunks questioned, feeling weird by talking to someone in his head.

_At the right moment._ Jellal answered, _He's strong, but we can throw it hard enough to stop him._

_If I throw it too hard, I might kill him. _Trunks replied seriously.

_That's why I'm going to throw it._ Jellal explained, _Are you hearing all of this, sir?_

_I am. _Trunks heard Makarov reply.

_Porla drops his guard every time he attacks. _Jellal told them, _I can hit him then, but you two will have to keep his attention._

_That shouldn't be too hard. _Makarov agreed, _But do try to avoid killing him._

_I won't aim to kill. _Jellal said, _But we can't afford to keep this fight going on, either. We have to put a stop to this._

_I understand. _Makarov replied.

_When I say so, Trunks, _Jellal instructed, _Throw your sword to me. We'll wait for you to start the attack, sir._

Makarov nodded silently as Jellal shifted further right. Trunks moved left, waiting for Makarov's move.

"Jose!" Makarov addressed the dark mage, "Surrender while you still can!"

"I told," Porla replied, "Never!"

"So be it." Makarov stated, crossing his legs and levitating before bringing his opened hands in front of himself. Pointing his right fingers downward and his left fingers opposite, he quickly reversed them; and a brilliant light began to shine from between his palms.

"That spell!" Porla shouted before dashing at Makarov, "NO!"

Makarov slammed his hands together over the light, looking as if he were praying.

"I invoke…" Makarov began, but was interrupted as Porla aimed a desperate blast at him.

_Now, Trunks!_

Nodding and reaching behind himself, Trunks grabbed his sword with two hands before launching it at Jellal. Jellal caught it and prepared to throw it, no longer paying attention to what was happening.

Everything happened slowly for Makarov as he watched Porla's attack fail, his enemy's hand only emitting a purple puff of smoke. He saw the confusion on the man's face before the sword struck him. Suddenly gravely injured, Porla stared and walked to the edge past the landing Makarov, who now saw the blade had flown into the man's back and out his stomach, where half the blade was protruding. Trunks, Jellal, and Makarov stared in shock at the sight.

"My power?" Porla questioned with his last breath, "Where is it?"

With that, Jose Porla fell, crumpling in a heap until his momentum sent him rolling off the side of the building.

"Jose, you damned fool." Makarov said quietly as followed the trail of blood to the edge. Looking over it, he saw where Porla landed. He never wanted to see something like that ever again.

"It's over." Makarov declared, and Jellal nodded in agreement.

"Not for me." Trunks replied honestly, "I need my sword back."

"I'll get it for you." Jellal said with a grim expression, "You don't need to see where it is."

"I agree." Makarov added. He looked to Jellal, who was staring at the horizon.

"Is that the Magic Council?" Jellal asked. Trunks and Makarov both turned to look where he was looking.

"That would be them." Makarov replied, "You better hurry and get that sword before you have to run."

"Right." Jellal nodded, and his body began to glow again as he jumped off the building.

"Come, Trunks." Makarov instructed, "We'll meet him downstairs with everyone else."

In the Shadow…

"That worked perfectly!" Edo declared happily, "Look for yourself."

"Wha-?" Gohan questioned as an entire wall of the room showed him a grisly image, "Is that-"

"Jose Porla, former Wizard Saint and Phantom Lord Guild Master dead in a heap?" Edo interrupted, "Yes, it is."

"Look here," Edo pointed as he materialized in front the wall and pointed, "That's what killed him."

"That's Trunks' sword!" Gohan observed.

"They impaled him, and then threw him off the roof!" Edo said with a number of laughs.

"I knew he'd be vulnerable as soon as I removed all his magic and energy," Edo continued, "But I didn't think they'd impale him. My best guess was disintegration."

"You planned this?" Gohan asked the dark mage.

"Are you finally understanding?" Edo replied, "Everything that's been happening, it's because I've wanted it to. I knew you'd be here today, and I played all of you like the instruments you are."

Gohan angrily tossed a ki blast that did nothing but fly through Edo and the machine past him.

"You're free to go, Gohan, the door's open." Edo informed him, "And you can take Gajeel with you. He's more useful to me on your side anyway."

"I'm going to kill you." Gohan promised before moving to pick up Gajeel.

"Perhaps." Edo replied flatly, "But then again, maybe I'll kill you. Later, Son Gohan"

The dark wizard disappeared with the Dark Heart as Gohan watched before he lifted Gajeel over his shoulder and left with him. Taking one last look at the room, Gohan noticed it appeared normal, with every wall appearing solid.

"So that was his magic." Gohan observed before closing the door behind him, using the light from his God Form's aura to see where he was going. It was not long before Gohan heard familiar voices.

"They're both okay, I know it." He heard his wife say confidently, "Gohan always comes back."

"Wait, Videl," Gohan heard Pantherlily, "The entrance is cleared!"

"Really?!" She replied excitedly, "Gohan, are you in there?!"

"I'm here." Gohan called out, "But I need a hand."

Gohan finally reached the secret entrance, and Videl looked down it to see he was carrying Gajeel.

"Gajeel!" Lily exclaimed as he saw the same thing as Videl.

"Help me get him through here." Gohan ordered them, "I don't want to hit him against the doorway."

"I got it." Videl replied, and in a few seconds, Gajeel and Gohan were back in the Storage Room. Not thinking about Gajeel for the moment, Videl dove into Gohan and firmly wrapped her arms around him.

Gohan's hair changed back to its normal hue as he gladly returned the hug.

"I'll take Gajeel." Lily volunteered. Gohan nodded weakly, knowing Gajeel was in good hands.

"Why did you make me worry like that?" Videl demanded with her face still pressed into his chest.

"I wasn't gone for long, you know." Gohan replied with a smile, "And it's like you said, I always come back."

"Is it over, Gohan?" She questioned, "Can we go home?"

"No." Gohan answered sadly, "This is just getting started."

The two did not have long to catch up as the building began shaking.

"It's finally coming apart." Gohan observed before pulling Videl closer to him and using instant transmission to escape.

Appearing outside the front of the headquarters next to Laxus, Gohan and Videl separated to watch as the building fully collapsed. After a few seconds, nothing remained of it except for a cloud of dust and a pile of rubble.

"Damn." Laxus remarked, "I hope no one else was in there. Where is everyone, anyway?"

Gohan pointed off to the right of the building; and Alzack, Bisca, and the Thunder God Tribe watched with Gohan and Videl as the remaining Fairy Tail teams returned. They were immediately concerned to see they were not all intact.

Lucy carried Goten while Merudy carried Wendy, Loke carried Natsu, Erza carried Gray, Lisanna dragged Elfman behind her; and Happy flew next to them with Charle in his arms. Trunks and Makarov approached with grim expressions and Lily, who was floating next to them with Gajeel.

"Help them." Laxus ordered his team, and everyone but Bisca moved to assist their friends.

"Goten!" Videl called out, and she ran to help Lucy before Gohan even saw them.

"We're missing someone." Gohan observed, approaching Makarov as he spoke.

"We can start digging through the debris." Laxus suggested as he walked past Gohan with his head underneath Elfman's arm.

"That's not necessary." Erza told them as she lowered Gray between Gajeel and Natsu, "Everyone's accounted for."

"Then where are they?" Makarov questioned as he saw Jellal approaching, blood-stained Brave Sword in hand. Videl, Lucy, and Happy set Wendy, Goten, and Charle down together to the left of Gajeel while Laxus put Elfman down left of them. Most of the group saw Makarov staring, and they followed his line of sight to see Jellal nearing. Everyone still conscious watched as Jellal walked to the group and hand Trunks his sword.

"I tried to wipe it off." Jellal told the demi-Saiyan, "But some of it dried before I got there."

"It's fine." Trunks replied, sheathing the sword, "I'll take care of it later."

"We're missing Juvia." Makarov pointed out, "Where is she?"

"She's with them." Erza answered slowly.

"Them?" Gohan repeated.

"Zancrow and his allies." Erza replied, "Juvia left with them."

"She was captured?" Makarov asked. Erza shook her head.

"She seemed to go willingly." Erza explained, "Zancrow talked to her, and she just followed him through a portal, like the one we saw the other night."

"That's what Edo meant." Gohan said to himself, "That's what he wanted to take."

"She had no choice but to go with him." Merudy informed the group, "She couldn't fight, so she left with him to save Gray."

"Whose blood is that?" Lucy asked, suddenly noticing Trunk's weapon, "On the sword."

"Porla's." Jellal replied darkly, trying to hide his face as he felt Erza staring at him, "I killed him."

"We helped." Trunks added, speaking mostly to Jellal and gesturing to Makarov.

"None of you killed him." Gohan informed them, "Edo did. He removed all of Jose's strength and magic just as you attacked. It didn't matter what attack you were going to use, it would have been too strong for him, whatever it was."

"So you were with Edo?" Makarov questioned, "Is he the one that did this to Gajeel?"

"Not entirely." Gohan answered, "Most of it was me."

The members of Fairy Tail continued to piece together what happened and mend their wounds until Gohan saw the first of the Magic Council's troops approaching.

"You better get out of here quick." He told Jellal but grabbed the man by the arm before he could flee.

"I'll come find you later." Gohan whispered, "There's a lot we have to talk about."

"I agree." Jellal stated before glancing at Erza and turning to leave, "Come on, Meldy, the council's almost here."

A couple hours later, and the grand total of arrests was one hundred and twelve dark wizards. The officers of the council were more than happy with the result, even complimenting the destruction of the headquarters. The only complaint they had was that Jose Porla had died, though they understood it could not have been avoided. After all the prisoners were thrown into wagons or chained together, and the surrounding area secured; the council officers left Fairy Tail to tend to their wounded.


	23. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Recovery

The next day, around midday…

Jellal looked around the room nervously, wondering exactly how someone convinced him to be here. He could not say he was upset that he was here; he just felt awkward. He was rather impressed at the many different sets of armor and weapons that were arranged nearly everywhere; five whole rooms were dedicated to displaying them, making this apartment one of the biggest armories Jellal had ever seen. It was definitely the cleanest. Almost all the items stored here had a nice glossy shine when the light reached them. He looked at the equipment as he walked between rooms, glancing at each piece of equipment as he passed until he reached the actual living space. This room was also how he had imagined it would look: simple, yet clean and elegant; a reflection of its tenant. Every hard surface was clean, nearly spotless actually; even the furniture seemed brand new, as little as there was. Other than the wooden table and chairs in the center of the room, the only other thing for people to sit on in the room was a couch and a small armchair. Both appeared to have barely been used, but they did seem comfortable. The kitchen area was also in this room, though there was not much to it; and it also appeared barely used. He was still waiting around; so he figured he should try to get comfortable, as much as he could in this apartment anyway. Sitting in the armchair, he was glad he was correct about its comfortability. There was only one place he had not seen yet in the apartment, and a stray thought in his head wondered if the furniture in the bedroom was as comfortable.

Realizing his train of thought, Jellal mentally slapped himself.

_Focus._ He told himself, glad no one could see his slightly embarrassed face. Being in here was already hard enough, he did not need dangerous thoughts creeping into his head as well.

The sound of the front door opening brought him back to the room; and he hesitated, unsure how to greet her. Deep down, he wanted to wait in the armchair for her, trying to look cool and comfortable; but he decided to get up and present himself, the direct and polite approach. He stood up, and the floor creaked.

"Who's there?" He heard her demand, and he could imagine her standing by the door ready for fight.

"It's me, Erza." He answered, stepping into the long hallway.

"Jellal?" Erza replied, confused, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Jellal explained, "No one knew where you were, so Mirajane told me to look here."

"Of course she did." Erza remarked, still standing by the door tentatively, "How did you get in?"

"The door was open when I knocked." Jellal said, "And I figured it was better to wait in here then outside your door."

"I agree." Erza replied, finally moving towards him, "Did Mirajane also tell you that men are not allowed in Fairy Hills?"

"No, she did not." Jellal answered, "But to be fair, I'm not legally allowed anywhere. What's in the bag?"

"This?" Erza asked, stopping and lifting the white bag she was holding in her left hand, "Nothing of importance."

"You can sit down if you want." She added, gesturing to the furniture as she walked past him and walked into her bedroom.

"Thank you, but I won't be here long." Jellal said, raising his voice slightly to ensure she heard him.

"What do you need?" Erza questioned as she returned from her bedroom.

"I'm supposed to be asking you that, Erza." Jellal replied, "You three want me to stay at Fairy Tail, so I might as well do something productive around here."

"Master Makarov doesn't want you to leave Fairy Tail because it could be dangerous to." She explained.

"Edo won't catch me or Meldy by surprise; we know what to look for." He argued, "This is because Makarov's worried about people spotting me."

"I can work with Gohan and Videl," He suggested, "But Gohan says he'll only do it if Makarov consents."

"Has the Master allowed it?" She asked.

"I haven't asked yet." He answered, "Videl suggested I ask you to help us with convincing him."

"So you want me to speak with the Master for you?" She questioned.

"With us." He clarified, "Gohan and Videl are already at the guild, waiting for us to show up."

Erza was silent for a moment as she thought.

"I'll speak with the Master." She decided, "But you have to swear that you will not take any unnecessary risks with whatever you plan on doing, and you cannot do anything that may compromise Fairy Tail."

"Of course." Jellal agreed, pulling his hood over his head and turning to leave, "I'd never do anything that would risk harming my best allies. Thank you, Erza, I'll see you at the guild."

"I have another question, Jellal." She stated, not entirely sure why she was asking the question, "Are we just allies to you?"

"You know the answer to that, Erza." He replied, stopping at the door and staring at it, "More than anyone else."

Jellal turned the door knob and began to open the door when Erza spoke up again.

"One moment, Jellal." She requested before going into her room and returning with the bag she had carried in, "We should probably walk there together."

"If you say so." He remarked after turning back to face her, "But what is in that bag?"

"Lunch." She answered, "I wanted to eat it while I was away from the guild."

"Because I'll be there?" He questioned, remembering the awkward dinner Mirajane had served them. Erza nodded, knowing she could not find any less embarrassing ways to explain.

"However strange the other night was," He stated, "It was the best meal I had in a long time, Erza; and Mirajane had nothing to do with that."

"Fortunately for you, I know a few good spots to camp around here." He volunteered with a weak smile, seeing Erza's nervous expression, "We can stop by one of them on the way so you can eat in peace, if you don't want to eat it here."

"The weather is nice." She remarked, looking back at him and matching his smile. Jellal smirked and opened the door, holding it so she could exit first.

"Lead the way, Erza."

A few miles east of Magnolia…

"I'm just saying, you guys," Lucy argued once again as she walked next to Natsu, "Is it safe enough to be going on a job right now?"

"We told you, Lucy," Happy reminded her, sitting on Natsu's left shoulder, "Me and Natsu are broke, so we don't have a choice."

"Yeah," the Fire Dragon slayer replied, "Besides, I can take on anyone that tries to attack us."

"You mean we can." Trunks chipped in from behind them and next to Gray, "I didn't get dragged into this just to help catch some squirrels."

"They're not squirrels, Trunks." Goten corrected him, walking hand-in-hand with Wendy behind Trunks and Gray, "They just look like squirrels."

"If squirrels were pink and knew how to use basic tools." Charle remarked, still being held by Wendy's free left arm.

Gray remained as silent as he had been since the beginning of their trek, thinking he should be elsewhere at the moment.

"I'm not really sure this was the best job for us to pick, though." Happy stated.

"What do you mean, little guy?" Natsu questioned.

"The villagers just want us to move the goblins somewhere else." The blue Exceed explained, "But we'll probably end up destroying half of the forest somehow."

"We will?" Lucy questioned, "Or just Natsu?"

"Come on, guys," Natsu defended himself, "I think I'd destroy at least three quarters of the forest."

"That wasn't Happy's point, you know." Lucy chided.

"I'm just surprised Natsu knew a bigger fraction than one half." Happy remarked. Lucy smirked as Natsu and Happy began to argue. The group of five in the front were distracted by the arguing so much that they did not notice that Goten, Wendy, and Charle were falling behind.

"Are you okay, Wendy?" Goten asked, suddenly noticing their increased distance from the group.

"I'm fine." She answered, lowering her voice, "I'm just worried about Gray. He hasn't said anything all day."

"He's probably still beating himself up for what happened with Juvia." Charle pointed out, "Not that I'm surprised. He cares about her more than he lets on."

"I thought Lucy's idea to make him come along was good," Wendy continued, "But seeing him like this is…"

"Unsettling." Charle finished for her, "I agree, but there's nothing we can do about that for now."

"He'll be okay, and Juvia too." Goten declared confidently as he looked straight ahead, "I know it."

Wendy look at Goten and saw that despite his words, he seemed slightly bothered by the discussion.

"It wasn't your fault, Goten." She told him with a squeeze of his hand, "We just weren't ready to fight someone as strong as Zancrow."

"That means it was my fault." Goten explained, "I needed to be ready. We're lucky we're not dead; and if you had got hurt, I-"

"Nothing happened to me because you protected me." Wendy interrupted him, "You did everything you could."

"I know." Goten agreed with a sigh, "I just don't want to see people I care about getting hurt."

"They won't. We'll both be stronger next time." Wendy assured him, "And I won't let anything happen to you either."

"Thanks, Wendy." Goten replied with a smile, wrapping his arm around hers. Wendy smiled, enjoying being closer to Goten. Sneaking a glance at her boyfriend's face, she could still see that he was thinking about something.

"I was thinking about something yesterday." She said to get his attention.

"What was it?" Goten asked.

"Whenever things go wrong, I usually cry about it. Especially when I can find some way to blame myself for the problem." She explained, "But I didn't yesterday."

"I wasn't going to say anything about it," Charle chimed in, "But I noticed it as well."

"It's because of you." She said, staring at Goten, "Something about you makes me think that everything's going to be okay, no matter what happens."

Goten looked at her, unsure of how to respond.

"I want you to think that way about me." She stated, looking away as she felt Goten's gaze, "That you're safe when I'm around."

She nearly jumped when Goten kissed her cheek.

"I already do." He stated. She wanted to respond to him, but Natsu interrupted them.

"Hurry up, you three!" He called back, "You're falling behind!"

"They were probably hoping they could sneak away and find a spot to make out." Happy joked. Wendy and Goten both turned a shade of red as they hurried to catch up.

"I think they're cute." Lucy remarked, "Just look at them."

"No thanks." Trunks chipped in, "I don't feel like throwing up my breakfast, and that mushy stuff makes me sick."

"You're probably just jealous." Happy replied before joking, "I could fly back and get Lisanna if you want."

"I don't like Lisanna like that." Trunks argued.

"Tell that to your red face." The feline teased.

"Ergh…I can't even remember breakfast!" Natsu interrupted, rubbing a hand over his stomach, "When are we stopping for lunch?"

"We're almost there." Lucy told him, "We can stop in a few minutes if you want."

"What's for lunch?" Goten asked the group.

"I brought some fish." Happy volunteered.

"Of course you did." Charle remarked.

"Did you guys forget that I've got an entire house full of food and drinks?" Trunks questioned.

"Really?!" Natsu and Happy replied excitedly.

"For real." Trunks said as he brandished the capsule, "Gray's seen it, right, Gray?"

The group looked to the ice wizard, who did not bother to look up as he answered.

"Yeah." He replied flatly.

"That's awesome." Natsu commented, pretending not to notice Gray's current attitude, "Let's look for a place to stop soon, I'm starving."

At Fairy Tail…

Gohan leaned back against the bar as he watched the different things his guildmates were doing. Most were scarfing down their lunch while they chatted amongst their teammates and friends. Gohan was glad not all the conversations he listened to were negative; and it was also reassuring to him when he found that even the negative ones had some positivity in them. Other than listening to conversation and gossip, Gohan was figuring out where entertainment can be found in the hall. He could find something fun to watch if he knew where to look. More specifically, he watched certain people in the guild. For instance, Jet and Droy were currently arguing about their status in Team Shadow Gear. They stopped arguing when an annoyed Levy helped them realize the name could work as a reference to Gajeel's fight with Rogue in the Grand Magic Games. They nearly passed out when she added that she believed she could use that interpretation to convince him to join the team, mentioning something about stroking his ego. Gohan chuckled to himself, thinking how Levy did not realize the moniker was more accurate than she thought.

Natsu's team was not here, so he knew no large scale fights would breakout today; but Erza was not here, and a skirmish or two usually breaks out when she's away. Gohan thought Jet and Droy would have caused it, but Levy's immediate dismantling of their argument settled that. Cana was at the guild, drunk as always. Gohan made a mental note to keep Cana and Videl separate as much as possible; Videl would snap if she heard some of the passes Cana makes at him. The newest one had Cana asking him to let her be his 'goddess'.

Another interesting sight was Romeo, whom Gohan realized he had not seen in a while. The poor kid looked depressed about something; but he hid it well as he stormed in, grabbed a job request, and left as quickly as he came. Gohan thought he might want to find some time to ask Romeo what was up.

And, as usual, Mirajane was behind the bar, smiling as always. Gohan could not lie, Mirajane was very easy on the eyes; and her kindness, intelligence, and playful sense of humor made conversations with her refreshing. And when "Matchmaker Mira" takes over, hijinks usually ensues, though it almost always ends in some sort of brawl.

Overall, the guild was an awesome place, and hanging out around it was a lot more exciting than his books back on Earth. He would be tempted to call his adventures here a vacation, but the fact that he was brought here to play some power mad psycho's game tainted his impression of Earthland slightly. Gohan 's mind wandered to Edo, wondering what the man planned for his turn in this insane game he had began. Why did he take Juvia? Gohan had just figured out he should try to learn of anyway to reach Edo's room when he saw Jellal and Erza enter the guild hall. He made eye contact with Jellal before waving the two over. He turned around to face the bar as they approached, only to be greeted by an obviously excited Mirajane. Gohan shook his head with a chuckle.

"Go easy on them, Mira." He told her quietly, "They're probably not in their best moods yet."

"I know," She whispered back as she watched them approach, "I just want to watch and see how cute they are together."

Gohan gave Mira a weak laugh before turning to greet the subjects of their discussion.

"It took you long enough." Gohan joked to Jellal, "Is she on your side?"

"I sure hope so." Jellal remarked with a shrug.

"Where is the Master?" Erza questioned, "I'm told we must speak with him."

"Master Makarov is in the library, talking with Levy." Mirajane answered, "Gajeel's in there too, though I'd never picture him in a library. He'd probably eat the screws that keep the bookshelves together before he read anything in there."

Only Gohan and Jellal heard Mira's joke as Erza made way for the library as soon as she learned where Makarov was.

"I guess she's still mad at you, Mira." Gohan remarked.

"It's okay." Mirajane replied, giving Gohan a smile, "She's been through worse embarrassments."

"Where's Pan at?" She asked him.

"One second, Mira." Gohan said before facing Jellal, "Go in with her, I'll be right behind you."

Jellal nodded and followed the path he saw Erza take as Gohan faced Mirajane again.

"She's with Videl right now." Gohan answered, catching the flicker of interest in Mira's eyes, "Why?"

"Just wondering." She questioned, "I saw Videl when you guys came back from Phantom Lord; she looks nice. How did you get her to be a spy for you?"

"I asked." Gohan answered flatly, "I know her from back home, she followed us here, and she saw we needed some help; so she became a spy for us."

"Are you close?" Mirajane asked.

"We have been friends for a long time." Gohan half-lied. Despite his wife's disagreement on the issue, Gohan insisted that most people should not know his true connection to Videl because he knew there were more threats than Edo to worry about.

"That's cool." She remarked while Gohan tried to figure out why she looked slightly cheered up by his response.

"I wish we had more time to talk," Gohan replied politely, "But I don't think I should keep those two waiting any longer. If Goten or Trunks come back from their job, can you tell them to come find me?"

"Sure thing." She said happily with a nod, and Gohan said goodbye before taking off for the library. He was greeted by Levy and Gajeel, reaching the door to the library just as Levy and Gajeel were walking out the room.

"You're lucky the Master wanted to talk in there!" He heard Levy snap at Gajeel, "I was trying to read Lu's new chapter."

"I tried to have fun, but I got a headache anytime I tried to read one of those things." Gajeel quipped before shrugging, "It does have some decent old iron in there, well-aged, really."

"What did you eat in there?" She questioned with some concern, "Is that why you broke that bookshelf an hour ago?"

"No," Gajeel lied, "That was because I tripped."

"Yeah, you tripped." She agreed sarcastically, "You ate the metal parts off that bookshelf didn't you?"

"You have no clue how good it looked." Gajeel replied, and Levy turned to Gohan.

"Can you hit Gajeel in the head for me or something?" She questioned, "Cause someone's gotta knock some common sense into his thick metal skull."

Gohan laughed and looked at Gajeel, "Make sure you pay for the parts or replace them yourself."

Gajeel grinned, glancing at Levy before looking to Gohan and saying, "Whatever you say, Boss."

Gohan returned the grin before heading into the library while Levy shook her head at the two.

A few miles outside the infested village…

"This place is so cool." Natsu complimented for the second time as he lay across the couch, a hand on his stomach, "And the food was great. What's that ice box thing called again a 'smidgerator'?"

"Refrigerator." Lucy corrected him, walking from her designated bedroom before sitting on the middle of the couch and laying into the couch cushions over Natsu.

"Do you have to use me as a pillow, Luce?" He questioned, feigning he was in pain.

"I'll use you as a pillow whenever I want." Lucy barked back.

"Yes ma'am." He replied, and Trunks grinned at them from his seat in the armchair. Gray had gone straight for the room he had picked as soon as he could, and Goten, Wendy, and Charle sat chatting by the kitchen counter that doubled as a living room bar.

"So this is what normal houses are like on your world?" Wendy was asking Goten.

"In the cities, yeah." Goten answered, "But not everyone lives in cities, my family lives in the mountains."

"The weather must be nice there." She remarked, "Especially if it's away from all those people and cars in the cities."

"The only thing that's not so good about it is that it's scary with really bad weather." Goten added.

"I could try to do something to fix the weather." She suggested. Goten did not catch the slightly concealing meaning of her words, but Charle caught on.

"You're not thinking of going home with him?" The feline questioned, and Happy giggled.

"That's probably all she thinks about doing." He teased with an evil grin.

"We're both twelve years old, Happy." She surprisingly argued, though still polite and slightly red, "We're not going to be doing anything like that."

"You two are so cute." They heard Lucy chime in as she was now laying fully atop Natsu.

"And you two should get a room." Trunks replied to Lucy and Natsu, "You're making me sick."

"I know what you mean." Natsu croaked back, "Lucy's butt is on my stomach, and I ate so much food…"

"Oh fine." Lucy remarked, "What if I do this?"

Natsu felt as Lucy weight began to be felt lower down his body, having an idea of where she was going.

"No thanks, Luce." He panted, with a bead of sweat rolling off his forehead, "You're fine where you are."

"Mm, okay." She mumbled, sounding half asleep.

"Is she falling asleep right now?" Charle asked Trunks, "It's only just after lunch time.'

"She ate a lot of that turkey." Trunks explained.

"And I was having trouble sleeping after what happened at Phantom." Lucy added, "Natsu's helping me get my sleep here."

"You're welcome, Luce." Natsu chipped in weakly.

"So… will we be more like them when we're older, Wendy?" Goten questioned, genuinely curious. Charle and Happy hid their grins while Wendy went slightly pink and answered him.

"What does that mean?" Lucy replied to them, "We're not dating. You're the lovebirds here."

"That's weird, because I feel like I'm watching a double date." Happy commented; Trunks and Charle nodded in agreement.

Three hours later, in the mountains northeast of Crocus…

Gohan lay relaxing in the grass enjoying the feel of the light breeze on his face and the view of the mountain range below him. He would have appreciated it longer, but he was stopped when Videl nudged his side with an elbow.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, shifting closer.

"That we should get moving if we want to find Jellal a safe place to stay here." Gohan answered, "Jellal wanted to go look by himself for a bit, we got a minute left."

"I don't want anyone finding out everything about us, okay?" He requested before adding, "Even Pan knows to keep it a secret."

Their daughter, who was sitting on Gohan's stomach, put an index finger to her lips to show her agreement.

"You two are hard to say no to." Videl remarked, "It's so cute."

"Jellal's coming back." Gohan informed her.

"You know we're not going to be able to hide this from Jellal for long." She told her husband.

"I know." Gohan answered as he stood up, "He's probably already figured it out, and I should probably tell him soon just so he doesn't feel like we're treating him like he's dumb or something."

"Come here and I'll help you with that." She replied, and Gohan grinned dumbly before walking to her and helping her up.

She quickly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for a kiss, one that was eventually interrupted by the sound of Jellal clearing his throat.

"When you're ready," He greeted the couple, "I found a decent spot east of here, you can see it well from there."

"Alright." Gohan replied eagerly, breaking off the kiss as soon as Jellal began to speak, "Lead the way."

In the village people now called "Goblin Town"…

The goblin wrangling operation had begun, and Team Natsu faced its greatest challenge to date: keeping Natsu from breaking something. Lucy gave Natsu a net and reminded him to disarm them so they could not cut the netting in a lecture that also explained in great detail why he should not use his magic. He was currently chasing the tiny pink creature down the main road of the village.

Lucy had Virgo digging tiny pitfalls and helping devise other traps while Sagittarius was shooting away the wooden and stone weapons the adorable monsters carried to the fight. Standing near her was Gray, who would occasionally freeze any that came near him before tossing them to Natsu for defrosting and securing. Happy had tried showing off, hoping to prove to Charle he was physically strong enough to beat the goblins in a fight.

Goten and Wendy on the other hand, turned out to be the saviors of this job. For some reason, the goblins seemed to like Wendy and were not aggressive to her. Goten had grabbed a few of them before she convinced them to not attack him, so the goblins liked him a little less; but they still gave up trying to fight him. It only took a few more minutes before the rest of the goblins that had not already been captured or disarmed gave up peacefully. The villagers promised to find a safe home for the goblins, and everyone was happy in the end. Except for Natsu, who was slightly scratched up from goblin spearheads.

"That's another person that likes your hair, Trunks." Happy teased as they walked back to their house, "Are you gonna fall in love with that girl too?"

"No." Trunks replied, hiding his face, "I don't even know who she is, and I'm too young to go out with Lisanna."

"I wasn't talking about dating her." Happy clarified, "You don't have to be dating to fall in love. Look at me and Charle."

"In love?" Charle could not help but argue, "Keep dreaming, tomcat."

Goten leaned towards Wendy to whisper something to her.

She smiled cheerily in response and wrapped her arm tighter around his.

"Did you see the way I took out that goblin, Charle?" Happy questioned.

"You were a stunning and brave warrior out there." Charle answered sarcastically, "The tiny pink squirrels with spears all quivered with fear."

"They're not squirrels, they're goblins!" Happy argued.

"At least you guys got to use your magic." Natsu whined, "Some of those little guys had sharp teeth!"

"I kinda liked them." Goten remarked with grin, "They're really smart."

"And so cute…" Wendy added cheerily.

"You two are happy wherever you go, and it's gonna make me vomit." Trunks chimed in.

"I don't think I really used any magic that whole time." Wendy stated as she realized it, "I can heal some of those cuts for you, Natsu."

"No." Lucy interrupted, "If Natsu doesn't want us to use magic on this job too, you don't have to heal him, Wendy."

"Why?" Natsu questioned.

"You whined about not being able to break stuff, and you complained about having to do the job right." Lucy explained, "Maybe you'll stop whining when you want Wendy to heal you."

"But Lucy, I don't mi-" Wendy began but was cut off by the dragon slayer.

"You know what?" Natsu replied, "Wendy doesn't have to heal me, I'll just deal with it. But the next time we go somewhere cold, you can't use Horologium!"

"You don't think I can handle it?" She argued while everyone else continued to watch the two bicker, "I'll just stand next to you, since you're so bigheaded and full of hot air!"

"Ha! Good luck keeping up!" Natsu quipped.

"I'll do it!" She declared.

"Good!" Natsu finished the argument, crossing his arms and looking away.

It was not long before they reached the house, getting in and crashing on the comfortable furniture. Goten quickly got up from the armchair, however; because Wendy told him he smelled after she curled up with him on it. He went into the right bedroom to take his shower, whining about it as he told Wendy she needed to get one as well. Gray had already darted into the middle bedroom, and Goten could hear Gray's shower running as he got undressed to get in his and Wendy's room. Lucy and Natsu sat on opposite ends of the couch staring in different directions while Charle, Happy, and Wendy chatted by the bar between the kitchen and living room. Trunks was tempted to head to the left room and just call it a day, but he decided Lucy and Natsu should have it, if they were even going to share it. The couch would be comfortable enough for him, and Gray seemed like he needed a long nap on a good bed. But the real reason Trunks was in the living room was that he wanted food. He and Lucy quickly made dinner for everyone, but the night took a turn when Lucy found the wine.

"You're family lets you keep alcohol?" Lucy questioned.

"It's not really mine, it's my mom's." Trunks explained, "I was borrowing it for a few days of training with Goten, and I was just lucky I had it on me when we came here. There's other bottles of booze around here if you look."

"Did you two ever try to drink any during your training breaks?" Lucy questioned with a grin.

"Once." Goten answered honestly, to his friend's slight surprise, "But it tastes awful."

Trunks made a noise of dislike to agree with Goten.

"You can have whatever you find if you want it." Trunks offered, "My family will never notice."

"Really?" Lucy asked, interested.

"So I can have this bottle of stuff I found under the couch?" Natsu questioned, waving around a bottle of some brown liquor.

"Whatever you want if you find it." Trunks restated.

"That's awesome." Natsu thanked Trunks, "Cana'd be so jealous."

"I'm think I'm going to drink some." Lucy chimed in, hesitating to open the wine when she saw Natsu opening his bottle, "You're going to drink too, Natsu?"

"Well, Wendy can't help me deal with these cuts," Natsu reminded her bitterly, "And this isn't magic."

"Whatever." Lucy retorted, "Just watch how much you drink, I know you can barely handle your liquor."

"Oh yeah?" Natsu questioned, "Watch this!"

Natsu quickly opened the bottle in his hand before taking a gulp of its contents. Lucy had filled a glass of wine to the brim and downed it as fast as possible. Goten, Wendy, Charle, and Trunks watched with interest as Happy cheered the duo on. It was not long before Natsu and Lucy were slurring their words and stumbling around when they tried to walk. A few minutes more and they were tangled in each other's legs and arms on the couch with Lucy on top of Natsu, clinking their glass bottles together before drinking more. A few more minutes, and anyone in the room could tell Natsu and Lucy were only barely in control. Their filters were off, and no subject was off the list for discussion.

"I'm sorry you're all cut up, Nassu…" Lucy said as she ran a hand over his scratched up right forearm, "We can get Wendy to heal you if you wanna."

"I'm fine, Luce." He told her, moving his right arm to touch her bare left thigh, "And I think that you were right about not using my magic today."

"I didn't wanna be mean, Nassu." She explained, almost teary-eyed, "I just didn't wan us to get in trouble again."

"Yeah, I know." He answered, "I kinda overreacted."

"So I can use Horologium when we go somewhere cold?" She asked, wrapping her legs tighter around his.

"Of course, Luce, you can use whatever spirit you want." Natsu allowed her before whispering in her ear, "And I won't run if you try to walk with me either."

Lucy moaned faintly at the tingling sensation in her ear from Natsu's whispering, grabbing him by both sides of his jaw, pinning him further into the couch, and staring into his eyes.

"Can you purr for me, Nassu?" Lucy pleaded as she rubbed her body against him and scratched the underside of his jaw.

"I don't know…" Natsu replied, unsure he wanted to do as she asked.

"Nassu, please." She slurred, "Purr for me. I won't let you go until you do."

Natsu rolled his eyes and gave in, hoping he would not injure his pride too terribly.

"Meeeww…"

"Oh my gosh, tanks Nassu." She said happily, pressing her face hard against his as she squeezed him with a hug.

"This is when the phrase 'get a room' becomes relevant." Happy remarked, and he watched as Natsu carried a squealing/giggling Lucy to the remaining bedroom.

"They're probably not gonna remember any of that." Happy declared when Natsu closed the bedroom door.

"Should we tell them what happened if they don't?" Goten questioned.

"It might be better if we don't." Happy answered, "As long as they don't do anything real crazy, it doesn't really matter. They've done this once before."

"And the purring?" Trunks asked.

"That was a first for Natsu." The Exceed said honestly.

Their conversation ended when Goten and Wendy's bedroom door opened to reveal Charle, who was rejoining the group in the living room.

"Did those two go to bed?" Charle wondered, "Did I miss anything?"

"They did; and no, not really." Happy told her.

"Wendy's out the shower now." Charle informed Goten, "It's okay to go in there if you want."

Trunks looked at Goten with a faint hint of jealousy, who quickly got up and went to his room. Trunks looked between Charle and Happy.

"I've got the couch." He said to them, "Maybe you two can curl up in the armchair."

"That sounds like a great idea, Trunks." Happy replied, "Whaddya say, Charle my dear?"

"I'm flattered but no," Charle shut him down, "You smell just as bad as Natsu."

"I can get a shower too!" Happy argued.

"You're not disturbing anyone in any of these rooms." Charle informed him.

"I'll use the sink!" Happy exclaimed, flying for the kitchen area while Charle laughed to herself. When he passed Goten and Wendy's door, he could hear the two talking.

"I feel much better after that shower." Wendy said with some confidence, as Goten smiled and agreed. Wendy was already in bed, wearing pajamas and laying under the covers, while Goten stood on the opposite side of the bed tentatively. It did not take long for him to get over whatever awkwardness he was dealing with, because one word from Wendy had him jumping onto bed right next to her.

"This does feel like I'm dreaming." Wendy suddenly stated to him, grabbing his left hand with her right and shifting closer to him, "I want to keep dreaming too."

Wendy moved her lips to his, almost causing Goten to jump in pleasant surprise. He was quick to return the kiss, his instincts now taking over. It was not long before they broke apart, knowing they had to keep their boundaries. For Goten, it was just another way to get himself to want to grow up. He now knew there was more he could do with Wendy; but he wanted all that stuff to be special to them, and he remembered Gohan's explanation of how waiting helped with that. Besides, he was perfectly fine with just being able to kiss her for now.

Somewhere in Fiore...

"Edo…" A man with long black hair spoke up from his seat on his throne, "It's been too long."

"Has it?" Edo questioned, removing his hood so his multiple-shades-of-blue hair could be seen. "I've been playing all this time, I barely noticed."

"Your face has certainly changed." The man remarked, "You were a haggard old man last I saw you."

"I found a fountain of youth." Edo joked back, "I'd tell you where it is, but you don't really need it. I'm guessing you're just as handsome as the day you came into being."

"You are probably the only human that does not compliment me out of fear." The man noted as he played with the pages of the book he held in his hands, "I respect that, but I can tell you're not entirely human."

"I am darkness incarnate, the eternal master of all Black Magic and Curses." Edo agreed, "To be mistaken for a mere mortal man is as much an insult to me as it is to you."

"I'm hoping you have returned to regale us with stories of our master or our father." The man stated, moving some of his hair from his face, "You tell such excellent stories."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Mardy." Edo replied, "I'm here on business, unfortunately. We can deal with pleasure later if this goes well."

"Is there anything we can do for the friend of my father?" the man questioned.

"Your father has no friends, that's how his magic works." Edo clarified before lying, "Maybe he'll explain it when you return to him."

"But I digress." Edo added, "I wanted to ask you something: when will the gates open?"

"Soon." The man answered, "The infiltration of the Magic Council is underway, and the beginning of the E.N.D. draws near. Did you come all this way to ask just one question of Mard Geer?"

"No." Edo explained, "I came here to offer you a service."

"Oh?" Mard asked.

"If your plan fails, as unlikely as that is;" Edo said, "I can secure another way to summon your master."

"How?" Mard Geer questioned.

"That's a trade secret, I'm afraid." Edo told him boldly, "It's one of my few pet projects at the moment."

"I see." The Underworld King stated, "And one of these schemes requires the assistance of Mard Geer?"

"There's a new enemy of ours in Earthland, a god." Edo explained, "I'm working on defeating him, but my next move requires some planning."

"A god?" Mard replied, "It has been ages since I've heard rumors of a god in the flesh. Is this one real?"

"Real enough to become a threat." Edo retorted, "If he were to discover your whereabouts, I'm sure he would destroy all of you."

"You do not believe one god is enough to face the Nine Gates." Mard argued, "And thanks to your additions so many years ago, this Garden is a supreme fortress under my command."

"You may not be able to die," Edo argued, "But if this god and his friends are committed, they will eventually destroy your precious Core before they come for you. And they will eagerly hunt down the Book."

"If I considered taking any of your words seriously," Mard asked, "What would you suggest?"

"Allow some of my students to live here." Edo answered, "They're learning how to bring down the god, and you may find them helpful."

"How can adding more humans to the Garden aid me?" Mard demanded.

"Because we can keep the god away." Edo elaborated, "I can assure you that he does not interfere with your work."

Mard Geer sat silently on his throne, tapping the spine of his most prized possession as he considered the offer.

"Even the Underworld King has his limitations, Zeref knew this." Edo bravely remarked, "That's why he passed on some of his knowledge to me; he knew there were somethings even you would need protection from."

"It has also been centuries since someone was worried for our safety." Geer pointed out, "Might you be underestimating Mard Geer's power?"

"I hope not." Edo surprisingly answered, "It would be boring if my enemy was weak enough to fall to you."

"Weak enough?" Mard demanded, slightly irritated.

"You heard me, weak." Edo quipped, "Only God Slayers and other gods can kill gods. Demons do not fall under that category, even their kings. My subordinates would make a formidable addition to the defense of your 'fortress'."

"I see." Mard Geer conceded, "And all you ask is that I tolerate the presence of a few more humans in my Garden?"

"Put us on the other side of the Cube if you want." Edo offered, "Give us somewhere private to work, and my pupils will not disturb you or the other demons."

"You are very confident in your men's capabilities." Mard stated, "Perhaps your joining with us could be advantageous."

"Excellent." Edo said before turning to face the wall behind him, "You can come out now."

Mard Geer watched with some interest as a barely dressed woman with olive skin came out the wall.

"Cel Rhea," Edo introduced them, "I'd like you to meet Mard Geer, Underworld King."

"Please forgive my intrusion, sir." She said to the demon, "But my master asked for a display of my ability. I am Cel Rhea, Earth God Slayer."

"So it was your earth magic that allowed you to walk through my stone walls." Mard remarked.

"My magic has allowed me to become one with your Cube." Cel informed him, "I can control any metal or rock on this thing."

"By the way, Master," Cel said, and Mard noticed a playful tone when she called Edo her master, "I've finished building our headquarters here."

"I see you were anticipating my consent." Mard Geer observed, "Perhaps this meeting was a mere courtesy?"

"It was not." Edo replied, "Though a fight with the Nine would be an interesting test of our power, it would ultimately be a waste of time. Being allies is just so much simpler."

"You should be honored I'm here," Edo remarked, "I'm the closest thing you'll get to seeing your creator. I guess that's more accurate when you remember that I'm a master of Curses and can create a new demon with a little work or destroy you all in a matter of seconds."

Mard Geer was silent, not liking the veiled threat.

"It's also my birthday." Edo added with a smirk, "And I'm a little proud that I've been around for more than a thousand years and I still remember my birthday."

"Why do I care about the day you were born?" Geer remarked dismissively.

"I know you don't celebrate things like that since you were never born, so I'll ignore the disdain." Edo replied with a wave of his hand before adding, "You know, you'd think being immortal would put a damper on birthdays, but I still celebrate every one of them in high spirits. I guess it's just that awesome to be me."

"Is there any redecorating I can help with, sir?" Cel questioned Mard Geer respectfully, "I can restructure anything you want almost instantly."

"No." Mard refused, "I'm fine with my Garden's appearance."

"You are missing out." Edo remarked, "Cel has a very creative mind and is a true artist. But if you're fine without the new additions, I guess there's one order of business left."

"What would that be?" Geer questioned.

"A challenge." Edo answered, "A race, to see who can awaken E.N.D. the soonest. If you win, we will all swear our service to you."

"That may be an excellent reward." Mard Geer stated, "And if your method works?"

"Then you join us," Edo explained, "And you will become more powerful than even you can imagine."

Mard Geer smirked from his seat on the throne, setting his favorite book on the throne's right arm as he stood.

"You make it hard to refuse, but there is one thing I require of you first." He said to Edo, "Show me your power."

Edo grinned dangerously, his bright blue eyes glimmering with excitement, "I did want some kind of party today…"

In the mountains outside Crocus…

Gohan, Videl, and Pan stared at Jellal as he showed them the abandoned cabin he discovered. The sun was setting fast, and they were considering using the building for shelter.

"It looks like it's in decent shape." Videl observed as she neared the front patio, "Some of this wood looks new."

"I was tracking a dark wizard through this area once, he was actually who led us to Phantom Lord." Jellal explained, "I never found where he had been hiding in these mountains."

"You think this was it?" Gohan wondered.

"Perhaps. It's obvious someone only stayed here occasionally." Jellal said, "I made sure the inside is safe, so you can go in if you want."

Videl moved forward with Pan, but Gohan stepped in front of them before entering the cabin first.

"It's clear." Gohan called out before holding the front door open for his wife and daughter.

"I wonder if there's any food left in here." Videl wondered as she looked around with Pan.

"If this place was some form of way station for dark wizards," Jellal replied, "It's possible there is."

"Three separate bedrooms." Jellal pointed out to Gohan before giving him a grin as he sat on the couch, "Though I'm sure we're only going to need two."

Gohan smirked, moving to sit in the armchair across from the couch before adding, "The kitchen and living room look nice too."

"You two can choose which room you'll take." Jellal stated, "I'll stay up and keep watch tonight."

"Anybody want some soup?" Videl asked from within a large pantry in the kitchen, "All the ingredients for a simple one are here."

"I think I'll keep watch tonight with you." Gohan volunteered before turning to Videl, "And yes, that sounds good, dear."

"It's been awhile since you called me that." Videl remarked with a smile as she approached with Pan, "Here, hold your daughter so I can cook."

"Yes, ma'am." Gohan answered as Pan happily jumped from her mother's arms to her father's lap. Jellal watched the exchange with some amusement.

"You still have yet to explain why you're concealing the truth of your marriage." He told them.

"Edo's not the only problem in Fiore at the moment, as I'm sure you're aware." Gohan replied to Jellal, "And considering what Edo's done to meet me, I don't want anyone else coming up with crazy ideas to get my attention."

"And why are we going to this guild?" Jellal requested, "I understand you have something to discuss about Acnologia with their master, but why in this manner?"

"I don't want to use instant transmission because popping in on people can be rude or awkward if they aren't expecting company." Gohan explained, "So we're doing this the normal way."

"And you want us to watch the outside of the guild while you speak with them?" Jellal questioned, gesturing to Videl.

"So you can make sure nothing weird happens, yeah." Gohan answered, "And you're back up in case Edo shows up."

"I see." Jellal said in thought, "You're thinking of every possibility here, I hope."

"Me too." Gohan replied with a shrug, "There's shouldn't be any drama tomorrow."

"You better be right." Videl warned from over the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room, "Otherwise I'll be beating you up tomorrow. Dinner's ready, by the way."

"We'll be right there." Gohan replied before looking to Jellal, "You're going to like Videl's cooking."

"I genuinely hope so." Jellal remarked, grinning with Gohan as they both stood up to head for the bar.

A couple hours later, Gohan and Jellal were sitting across from each other in the living, chatting as they watched for nearby magical energies and ki's. They had avoid personal conversation awhile, but eventually their conversation went down that road.

"Life with your family," Jellal questioned, slightly surprising Gohan, "What is it like?"

"It's everything I've ever wanted." Gohan answered honestly, "And more."

"I've never known that kind of life." Jellal stated, "If I did, I was too young to remember it."

"I heard a little bit about you and Erza from Master Makarov and the rest of the guild." Gohan said with a nod, "You're lucky to be alive."

"Sometimes I can't agree with that, Gohan." Jellal confessed, "When I look around to see what little good I've done, it just reminds me of all the other damage I made; but can't fix."

"You're doing everything you can, and that's what matters, Jellal." Gohan argued, "Erza wouldn't love you if that wasn't true. And don't bother denying your feelings, Happy told me about what happened before the Grand Magic Games."

"Well," Jellal replied slowly, "I know I'll have to have a talk with that feline friend of Natsu's, but I know you're right. And I do love Erza…"

"Heh." The blue-haired wizard chuckled, "If only Meldy had heard me say that aloud."

"But no one who's been tainted by darkness should be with ones that walk the path of light." Jellal chanted, "It's part of my punishment."

"I'm not going to debate any of that with you," Gohan declared, "Because it's something I think you and Erza should talk about."

Jellal nodded in agreement as Gohan added, "But as someone who's got the girl already, I can say that Videl and my daughter's love is what makes everything better for me. I know your situation is more than complicated, but I also know that you've been in love with Erza longer than I have been with Videl. Only time can heal some wounds; but Erza could help you heal them faster, if that makes any sense."

"It does." Jellal told him, "And I will take your advice seriously. Thank you, Gohan."

"So heartwarming…" the two suddenly heard from all around them.

"Edo!" Gohan exclaimed as he and Jellal stood up immediately, "Show yourself!"

"Ease up, my friend." Edo teased as he emerged from the back of the front door with his hands up, "I'm not in a fighting mood tonight."

"Why should I believe you?" Gohan demanded, taking a defensive stance with Jellal.

"Because it's my birthday." Edo stated. Gohan and Jellal were slightly put off by the man's answer.

"I didn't feel like playing our game today," Edo explained, "So I came here to relax for once."

"If we wanted to fight," Zancrow's voice chimed in as he emerged from the kitchen, "I'd have burned this cabin down already."

"Gohan!" the two heard Videl shout before she ran out the bedroom with Pan in hand, "Juvia's in here!"

She stopped her approach when she saw Zancrow and Edo, however. Zancrow gave Videl a dumb grin while Edo looked over her and Pan.

"I was so happy to see you two reunited once again." Edo stated, "I can't hide my jealousy, Gohan, honestly."

"It's too bad the moody one here hasn't grown a pair and made a move on his woman, am I right?" Edo questioned Gohan before the demi-Saiyan could reply.

"Come on out, my dear." Edo called out, and the six in the room watched as Juvia entered.

Neither Gohan, Videl, nor Jellal were easily able to believe the woman stepping closer to them was actually Juvia. For one, Juvia now had wild, medium-length black hair. The dress she wore and its skirt seemed made of black silk, and its design was less conservative than her usual outfits. The skirt length was still moderate, but it wrapped tighter around her the further it ran up her thighs. The top of the dress had a dark blue buckle in the center of it that was used to cross the material into an "X", and the tied material was draped over her neck. When she put her right hand on her hip, they saw her nails were black as well. Her hair pointed down and to her right, slightly scattering in direction; but there was a soft and well-conditioned look to it. She also had a necklace with seven dark blue sapphires, matching the color of her eyes and the buckle on her dress, with the largest sapphire being in the middle. No one could see if she had any footwear on, but Gohan could have sworn it sounded like she was barefoot.

"What did you do to Juvia?" Videl demanded.

"Master Edo has helped me." Juvia replied, "He spared my beloved's life, I have grown stronger under his teachings, and I am more beautiful than ever. Gray-sama will never be able to refuse me now."

"Gray will reject you." Videl argued, "He loves the old Juvia, not this one."

"You don't know my beloved like I do." Juvia quipped, "He was there to defend me, even though it was your love that promised to do that."

"I made a mistake, Juvia." Gohan conceded, "But I'm not the one that was threatening to kill your friends."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Juvia finished the argument, "All that matters is that I've sworn to follow Master Edo, and my darling Gray is alive."

"Well said, Juvia." Edo complimented, walking up to Videl and Pan. He must have noticed Gohan's tensing up, because he had a response for it.

"Gohan, I'm not going to do anything drastic. Calm down." Edo warned, pointing to Juvia's necklace to help Gohan notice the center sapphire was actually some form of lacrima.

"I just wanted to say, Videl," Edo stated to her, "You're so beautiful, I almost hate Gohan for stealing you away. But then again, I can't blame him."

"Did you come all this way just to hit on me?" Videl questioned, slightly irritated.

"No," The dark wizard answered honestly, "But it was at the top of my to-do list."

The group watched as Edo turned away from Videl, walking past Gohan and Jellal to spread out on the couch.

"That's much better." Edo remarked with a sigh, "I think this is the first time I've sat down today."

Gohan and Jellal stared angrily at the man as they watched him.

"Eh," the dark wizard commented as he played with the fangs on his hood, "These can be annoying sometimes."

"Why don't you remove the hood then?" Jellal questioned, "You should be more comfortable that way."

"And show you my face?" Edo replied, giving up on his hood and sitting up, "Only my best friends get to see my face."

"Speaking of them; come on, everyone," Edo ordered, "Take a seat; get comfortable."

"I would be happy to, Master," Juvia chipped in, "But I think our other friend will be getting bored after being alone for so long."

"I'm glad someone else thinks about their friends. Go on ahead, we won't be here long." Edo instructed as he moved to the left of the couch so Zancrow could sit next to him. Gohan, Videl, and Jellal watched as Juvia disappeared by walking into one of the cabin's darkened walls.

"All my friends can use some of my magic, and there's no need to hold hands with me to get around; like some people." Edo joked for the spectators before looking at them, "Not funny? Oh well, not every joke's a good one. But the magic's pretty cool, right?"

"Bringing Juvia here seems like some kind of sick joke." Jellal remarked.

"I wanted to show you how happy she is under my care and leadership." Edo defended himself, "I'm not entirely evil, you know. If I wanted to be cruel, I'd have brought Juvia to Gray; and as amusing as that could be to watch, I'm not going to do that."

"Why haven't you left yet?" Gohan questioned, finally losing his patience.

"I'm sorry, Gohan," Edo replied with a shrug, "I didn't realize I wasn't welcome. I was just hoping we could get to know each other a little better."

"You already know everything about me, so that's a lie." Gohan quipped, "And I already know all I need to know about you."

"I'll give you the first part of your argument, though that was my poor word choice. I probably should have said something like 'spending quality time'." Edo said before leaning in his seat towards Gohan, "But I'm curious, what do you know about me?"

"You're psychotic, immortal, and evil." Gohan answered, "And that someone is eventually going to stop you."

"Eventually, maybe." Edo conceded, "But not soon. Today's been too nice of a day for kill or be killed, you know?"

"I'm going to be honest with you three." Edo declared to Videl, Gohan, and Jellal, "No one will be able to stop me unless you learn everything there is to know about the wondrous creature that is me. It is quite a fascinating tale, if I say so myself."

"Let's go through what you don't know about me." Edo continued, seeing he had his audience's attention, "You don't know how all my magic works, you don't know if I know any more magic, you don't know how old I am, you don't know where I was born, you don't know all my friends yet; wow, I'm kinda running out of breath here. Let's see, you don't know where or when I'm watching, you don't know how to find me, and you don't know my real name. Hell, you don't even know what my face looks like."

"You say 'all you need to know' is that I'm bad, but I say that all I think you are is a fool." Edo ended his rant, pointing directly at Gohan, "I've done my best to know my enemy, Son Gohan; can you say the same?"

"Maybe I would if you didn't conceal you're identity." Gohan argued.

"But that's the game." Edo explained, "As you slowly learn about me, you'll become a bigger challenge. And I'm a man that reads a book for its adventure, not its ending. But don't worry, Gohan, you'll know everything about me before this is over."

"And your plan to rule the world with all these sidekicks you've gathered," Gohan asked, "Is that just a bonus in all this?"

"I had to come up with some fitting reward for a battle of our caliber." Edo answered, "Wizards and martial artists will fight for money, fame, or honor, and kings and councils will fight for countries and power; but gods, gods will fight for worlds."

"Defeating you will be my crown jewel." Edo said in closing, "What comes after that is mere child's play."

"That's if you beat me." Gohan reminded him.

"True." Edo agreed, standing up suddenly, "But we won't be fighting any time soon. There's a few things I want to do first. Maybe you'll hear about it from your friend Yamcha."

"Yamcha?" Gohan repeated, confused. Videl suddenly remembered that she had felt the retired fighter's ki the night before Cel attacked.

"You never knew he was here?" Edo questioned, genuinely intrigued before looking past Gohan to Videl, "You never told him?"

Gohan looked behind him to see Videl's frustrated expression.

"I forgot about it after your friend Cel attacked me." Videl replied before looking to Gohan, "I noticed Yamcha's energy somewhere near Magnolia the night before that. I meant to deal with it that morning, but you know how things went."

"What did you do to Yamcha?" Gohan questioned after nodding understandably to Videl.

"Nothing, I was hoping I'd get to watch you knock some brains into him." Edo answered, "He was the one that helped me find your way home, after all."

"The door…" Gohan realized, "You didn't-"

"Relax, Gohan, I did not destroy it." Edo assured him, "Breaking a mysterious, magically powered, inter-universe transportation device in the middle of a forest near one of the largest cities in Fiore; I have no clue how much damage that thing could cause. Its magic is only something that would come from Porunga or Shenron, to be sure. But if I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure breaking it would make any kind of mess. It's actually a fine work of art that's perfectly designed, and its magic is probably the closest you'll ever see to the One Magic, besides my handiwork anyway. No, breaking that thing could cause a myriad of things, mostly all of those things being unexplainable or bad for everyone."

"So what did you do then?" Videl asked nervously.

"I've been waiting for you to ask that." Edo answered with a grin before turning his head and calling out, "Juvia, if you're still listening, please bring out my birthday present."

"When you live as long as I do, people giving you gifts on your birthday just gets boring; and it's really hard to give a man with almost everything he wants something he doesn't have yet." Edo explained as he waited for a response, "So, about two hundred years ago, I decided I should give my friends gifts instead. And this one's yours."

As he spoke, Juvia emerged from the wall behind him, carrying someone very familiar in her arms.

"Gohan! Videl!" the little Pu'ar squeaked, "Help me!"

"Silence, cat." Juvia ordered him, who promptly complied.

"Where's Yamcha?" Gohan demanded.

"This is the fun part." Edo remarked as Zancrow and Juvia smirked with him, "You see, I asked Yamcha to do something if he ever wanted to see his feline friend alive."

"What did you do?" Jellal questioned.

"Well, I knew you had some business with the guild that's nearby; so I asked Yamcha to make sure everything looked nice for you when you got there." Edo answered, "To roll out the welcome wagon, or something like that."

"Your friend is on his way there now." Zancrow told them with some amusement in his tone, "It shouldn't take too long before he's done redecorating."

"Gohan, we need to go." Videl stated, feeling Yamcha's ki for the first time in a while.

"I agree." Jellal chipped in as Videl moved quickly with Pan to grab Gohan's arm.

"You better not be here when I get back." Gohan warned Edo before putting two fingers to his forehead as Jellal grabbed his free shoulder.

"I promise I won't." Edo replied, "I've got one more person to celebrate today with, and I've just arranged dinner and a show."

"Don't forget your cat." Zancrow joked as Juvia threw the frightened feline into Jellal's arms.

"See you soon, Gohan." Was the last thing the five heard from Edo before disappearing from the cabin.


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: A Gamble

"Yamcha, stop!" Videl and Gohan both yelled as they appeared with Pan, Pu'ar, and Jellal in the center of what had to be Sabertooth's dining hall. The older Z warrior did not appear to hear them, as he kept punching and kicking his way through the crowd of wizards that were retaliating.

"No one even notices we're here." Jellal observed.

"Can I trust you to protect my daughter?" Gohan suddenly asked the man, who nodded immediately, "Take her and find somewhere safe to watch. Videl and I will deal with this."

The next instant, Pan and Jellal were out of sight as Videl bolted for Yamcha with Pu'ar in her arms.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Gohan heard come from the other side of the room, "HEY!"

"Yamcha!" Videl yelled at the fighter, who could not hear her voice in the commotion, "Stop!"

"Alright, you asked for it: WHITE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

"Videl!" Gohan shouted at her, diving in front of her as a massive beam of white light engulfed the whole crowd. Jellal and Pan were outside watching when all the windows of the guild hall shone brightly before the glass shattered from the concussive blast.

"You think that little firework's gonna stop me?!" Gohan, Pu'ar, and Videl heard Yamcha yell through the smoke.

"No, but this might!" His enemy chimed in, "White Dragon's Slash!"

Gohan was the first to see through the clearing smoke, watching as Yamcha blocked Sting's luminescent punches.

"Guys! That's enough!" Gohan called out, trying to get their attention the conventional way, "Sting!"

"I'm fighting for my friend here!" Yamcha shouted, as he used a ki blast to force Rogue and Sting back, "Those little punches are nothing!"

"That's it." Gohan said, getting impatient, "Hold on, Videl."

She nodded before he warped away.

"I said, THAT"S ENOUGH!" She heard her husband yell before the room suddenly turned red and she felt the wind get knocked out of her, though she remained standing.

The haze cleared in an instant; and half the members of Sabertooth were on the ground, staring at the red haired man standing in the center of the room.

"Gohan?" Sting and Yamcha questioned at the same time from their opposite locations on the floor. The Super Saiyan God turned to face Yamcha.

"This isn't what it looks like you know," Yamcha immediately began to explain, "I-"

"I know what happened, Yamcha," Gohan interrupted him, "Pu'ar's right there."

Yamcha saw Gohan was pointing at Videl before getting up and quickly running to greet his feline friend.

"Hey!" Sting yelled at Yamcha as he stood up, "I'm not done with you! You can't just come here, break everything, and then ignore me!"

The White Dragon Slayer became annoyed when Yamcha ignored him. Turning to Gohan in frustration he asked, "This guy isn't a friend of yours, is he?"

"A friend of my dad's, but I think he's a friend too." Gohan answered honestly.

"Then why was he trying to destroy my guild hall?" Sting demanded.

"Hey man, uh, you better watch how you talk to some people." Yamcha warned the Sabertooth Master with Pu'ar nodding in agreement, "Gohan's not the kinda guy you want angry."

"Screw him! I'm the one that gets to be angry!" Sting retorted, "Look at what you did to my dining room!"

"Yeah, about that…" Yamcha apologized as he released Pu'ar and turned to Sting, "I didn't really want to start a fight."

"Then what the hell was all this about?" Sting questioned impatiently.

"I think we need to take this conversation somewhere else." Gohan interrupted them; and Videl nodded in agreement, seeing the large number of spectators they currently had.

"Is there somewhere private we can talk?" She asked the dragon slayer.

"Yeah, I guess." Sting replied with a confused expression.

"Lead the way." Gohan told him. Sting nodded and made way for his guild's library as his guildmates moved out his way.

"Right this way, your highness." Sting replied sarcastically before calling out, "Hey, Lector, I know you were watching. Go wake up Rogue and tell him to come to the library."

"You got it, Sting!" The group heard from somewhere in the crowd, "I mean, Master!"

"You're pretty young to be a master of a guild this big." Videl stated to Sting as she walked next to Gohan, "How did that happen?"

"Trust me, it's a long story." Sting answered, leading his four guests down a long hallway, "But I never planned on becoming Sabertooth's master."

"I think this is it." Sting declared as they reached a set of double doors near the end of the hallway. Shoving the doors open, Sting smirked when he remembered how impressive Sabertooth's library actually was.

"Wow." Videl complimented as she stared at dozens of bookshelves, all at least two stories tall. Past the gigantic shelves was a large study area with tables, chairs, carts for moving books around, and lacrimas that sat on the center of a few round tables. Past the second area were two sets of wooden stairs with gilded railings on the left and right side, leading up to another section of bookshelves. Underneath the stairs were more bookshelves, all filled end to end with literature.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Sting bragged as he watched the four admire the room, "I still remember when this place was as big as a bedroom."

"No kidding." Yamcha remarked.

"The master before me may not have been the nicest guy on the planet," Sting stated as he led them into the study area, "But he had no problem helping us learn as long as it made us stronger. And with Rufus and our lady Minerva bringing home books every other day of the week, eventually it had to be upgraded."

"That's a pretty expensive-looking upgrade." Videl commented.

"You've seen the rest of the building, right?" Sting replied, "Being the number one guild in Fiore for seven years definitely helped build it all."

"Is that you, Sting?" the group heard from behind.

"Yukino?" He questioned, slightly surprised to see her as she appeared from one of the first rows of bookshelves, "I didn't know you were back from that job."

"I asked for you when I got in," Yukino explained shyly, "But you were still asleep and I didn't want to bother you."

"Well I'm glad you made it back okay." Sting told her, "I keep worrying that Kagura is going to try dragging you back to her guild."

"I don't think she's ever going to do something that drastic if she wants to recruit me." Yukino replied, "I wouldn't be too worried about it. Who are our guests?"

"I'm Son Gohan." The demi-Saiyan greeted her, "And this is Videl, Yamcha, and Pu'ar."

"Gohan's a new member of Fairy Tail." Sting explained to her, "But he's probably their strongest guy."

"Really?" She questioned, slightly disbelieving before suddenly remembering, "Wait, is he the Gohan you told me about from the Guild Master's Conference?"

"That's him." He answered, suddenly nervous, "But, uh, you weren't supposed tell anyone you knew that, remember?"

"Is she the only person you told about Gohan?" Videl interrupted the two. Sting nodded quickly.

"Then it's okay." Gohan told them, "I'm sure you can trust her with the secret. And Rogue, when he gets here."

"I can trust Yukino with anything." Sting said confidently, "And Rogue won't let you down either."

Videl saw Yukino's slightly embarrassed expression and she smirked at the two, "I believe you. Now, where is Rogue?"

"I'm here." The Shadow Dragon Slayer answered as he reached the study area.

"I thought I smelled you." Sting remarked as he greeted his friend, "But why didn't I hear you come in?"

"Because I know how to be quiet in a library, unlike you." Rogue joked.

"You're real funny." Sting replied, "You were using your magic, right?"

"You know I like practicing my Shadow Magic at night." Rogue defended himself before looking at Gohan, "Who are these people?"

"I'm Videl." she chimed in, "And this is Gohan, Yamcha, and Pu'ar."

"Gohan's a new member of Fairy Tail." Sting added, "And he's crazy strong."

"Really?" Rogue questioned before asking with some interest, "And what is a 'Pu'ar'?"

"I'm a cat!" Pu'ar stated, "One that's been having a really bad day!"

"Look, we want to be out of here quickly." Videl suddenly told the group, "So can we just tell you guys what we came to say?"

"We'll explain everything that just happened," Gohan added, "But I'm not sure you're going to like what you hear."

In the Shadow of the World…

"Well, that was boring." Cel Rhea remarked from her seat on the left side of Edo's bed. She had just watched Gohan interrupt the fight between Yamcha and Sting.

"Don't worry," a shirtless Edo told her as he continued to rest on the right side of his bed, "That was just the beginning of the show. Refill?"

"Please." Cel begged, offering her empty glass to the dark wizard before he promptly poured another glass of wine for her, "I don't know why you didn't choose harder drinks for tonight."

"What?" Edo joked, "I thought you'd like the romantic theme I was going for."

"I do," Cel said, "But it just doesn't fit you."

"Well, I can't argue with that." Edo agreed, "I think this is the first time I've found a use for a candle in decades."

"At least you didn't get flowers." Cel half-joked before looking back to the portal across the room, "So what's part two?"

Back at Sabertooth…

"So you're telling me there's a dark wizard running around recruiting God Slayers?" Sting recapped, "And that it's possible he's stronger than Acnologia or Zeref?"

"That's about it." Gohan affirmed, "We knew you had a God Slayer in your guild, so we thought we should warn you."

"You think we should tell Orga?" Rogue asked his master.

"It wouldn't hurt." Sting replied, "Especially if this guy's got some ability that lets him control people."

"To think that Gajeel couldn't resist his control…" Rogue said, mostly to himself before his eyes suddenly widened and his whole body tensed.

"What's up, Rogue?" Sting questioned, immediately noticing his friend's sudden change in expression.

"I don- I... don't… know…" the Shadow Dragon stuttered. Gohan, however, knew what was going on.

"Get back, Sting." The demi-Saiyan warned the wizard, who had stepped closer to his friend.

"Talking about me behind my back, Gohan?" The voice of Edo asked from what seemed to be the center of the group.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that's rude?" The voice taunted, and Gohan suddenly found the source of the voice; and he was not happy about it.

"Stop this right now." Gohan commanded, staring directly at Rogue. Sting looked from Gohan to Rogue, and could not believe what he was hearing and seeing.

"Why?" Rogue asked Gohan, "This is getting too fun to stop right now."

"That's not Rogue's voice!" Yukino pointed out, "But he's talking!"

"Yeah," Sting agreed nervously before sniffing the air, "And his scent's changed a bit…"

"This isn't Rogue." Gohan informed her, "This is Edo."

"I don't know why you bothered warning Sabertooth about me." The dark wizard stated through his puppet, "I control what and who I want. Knowing that I'm around was never going to help poor Rogue here."

"Let him go." Gohan ordered, "We played this game already."

"This isn't the same trick, though." The puppeteer explained, "See, I haven't enhanced his powers yet."

"Then what is this?" Gohan questioned.

"It's my birthday present for Sabertooth." Edo answered, "An invitation to the game."

"Sorry pal, but I really don't feel like playing." Sting remarked.

"And here I thought Dragon Slayers loved a good challenge." Edo teased before his tone changed to a thoughtful one, "Let's see, what's a good starting move? Oh, I know!"

The group watched as Rogue's Shadow Drive was activated, the dark aura engulfing his body.

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" Edo yelled, and the spell fired straight for Yukino.

"Look out!" Sting shouted, tackling Yukino just in time as the spell sailed over them and collided with the bookshelf behind her.

"Let's come up with something here… Shadow Dragon's Nightfall!"

The entire room went dark as shadows spread from Rogue's body.

"That's new." Sting remarked as he released Yukino, who was about to stand up when a red aura began to brighten the room.

"Wait! Stay down!" The White Dragon Slayer warned Yukino, shoving her back down as Gohan's energy exploded. Books were scattered and their shelves collapsed as they were shoved aside by the force of Gohan's transformation.

"Where are you?!" The Super Saiyan God demanded as the darkness gave way to his red aura. Sting took the break in the action to pull himself and Yukino from under some of the library's inventory.

"You should know that by now, Son Gohan." Edo taunted from somewhere in the room, "I'm everywhere, and nowhere."

It did not take Gohan long to use his ki sense to find Rogue, who was now spasming on the floor.

"Looks like I win round two as well." Edo stated before his puppet suddenly tensed up and went motionless.

"Rogue!" Sting and Yukino yelled as they saw their friend pass out.

"This is a diversion…" Gohan suddenly realized, "Where's Orga?!"

As if in response, an explosion wracked the library.

"Oh, what now?!" Sting wondered angrily.

"STIIING!" the group heard as Lector and Frosch came running into the library, "It's Orga! He's lost it!"

"This isn't good." Videl stated, and Gohan nodded in agreement.

"This way!" Lector instructed.

Quickly following the two Exceeds, the group reached the guild' dining hall to see a blast of black lightning that sent numerous people flying in random directions.

"Orga!" Sting yelled as he made eye contact with the God Slayer through the crowd.

"Master… Sting… help! I… can't…." The God Slayer stuttered before he fired another attack at his guildmates.

"Water God's Tsunami!" A new yet familiar voice chanted.

"Is that-" Was all Videl was able to ask before a tidal wave filled the hall with water. Gohan was able to act quickly and shield himself, Videl, Sting, Yukino, Yamcha, Pu'ar, and the two Exceeds with a ki barrier.

"We can't go anywhere!" Yukino pointed out as she watched her fellow guildmates flowing out the windows with the water. The group then watched as all the water suddenly retreated to its source at the other end of the hall, which was standing next to Orga.

"Juvia!" Gohan called out, "Stop!"

"Juvia obeys only her Master, Edo." The water mage informed the Super Saiyan God, "And he's ordered me to test my new powers."

"Water God's Cyclone!" She yelled, sending a spinning line of water straight for Gohan, who used another barrier to hold off the attack.

"Lightning God's Bolt!" Orga suddenly yelled, and his electricity joined Juvia's attack, shoving Gohan back as he held his guard.

"What are you waiting for?!" Gohan yelled at Sting, "Help me save your friend!"

"I don't need saving!" Orga declared, now completely out of self-control, before the combined spells exploded against Gohan's shield.

"Orga, stop!" Sting yelled as he ignored the explosion and started running for his friend, "I don't want to hurt you!"

"Don't interfere!" Juvia barked at Sting, appearing directly in front of him and slamming an orb of water into his chest.

"Sting!" Yukino and Lector shouted as the Dragon Slayer went sailing through a window. Without a moment's hesitation, Yukino, Lector, and Frosh ran to follow Sting's flight path.

"Go get Jellal!" Gohan ordered Videl, who immediately took to the air and flew out another broken window.

"Go with her, Pu'ar." Yamcha commanded his friend, "I'm helping Gohan."

"Wait, Yam-"

Gohan was about to warn Yamcha about their enemy's strength when Orga cut him off, sending a bolt of lightning just over their heads.

"I'll take the big guy." Yamcha called out as he charged his ki before rushing Orga, "Try to keep up!"

"Wait!" Gohan yelled, but Yamcha was too focused on his attack to listen. Gohan tried to cut Yamcha off before he could attack, but was stopped when he was encased in a dome of water. Gohan glanced at Juvia, who smirked mischievously before letting Gohan watch what happened next.

"Wolf Fang F-" Was all Yamcha got out before Orga exploded with energy and magic, creating a shockwave that blasted Yamcha aside. The fighter collided into some dining tables, crashing through them in a heap as the water surrounding Gohan collapsed.

"Not good…" Gohan muttered to himself when he saw that Yamcha did not get up.

"YAAAA!" Orga screamed as he launched toward Gohan, "Lightning God's Fist!"

Gohan almost tried to catch the punch that Orga threw at him, but then he remembered what happened when Zancrow's flames came in contact with his skin. Instead of meeting the attack, Gohan warped behind the Lightning God Slayer as he missed his target. The Super Saiyan God attempted to punch the man, but suddenly remembered Juvia's presence as he felt a slicing pain in his back.

"Ah!" Gohan recoiled before firing a ki blast at Juvia, who simply allowed the attack to fly straight through herself. Orga took the opening and spun around, landing an electrically charged punch on the fresh wound on Gohan's back.

Acting on instinct, Gohan spun and punched Orga in the stomach before hearing Juvia cast another spell.

"Water Lock!"

The Saiyan God was instantly encased in water, barely being quick enough to shield himself once again.

"Lightning God's Charged Particle Cannon!" Orga chanted before firing the massive blast directly into the sphere of water and ki. The result was that Gohan was sent skidding backwards by the explosion before he expanded his barrier to shatter Juvia's spell.

"He escaped my Water Lock?!" Juvia questioned disbelievingly. Gohan took advantage of her momentary lapse of focus to form a spherical field of energy around Juvia, trapping her. Juvia began to flood the barrier, hoping to break through as he did with her spell.

Because he was struggling to hold Juvia, Gohan was unable to defend himself from Orga's attack, which jolted his back. The electricity went through Gohan's body, who could only yell in pain before falling to his knees. The barrier holding Juvia gave way, and she laughed menacingly before firing a jet of water into the center of her enemy's chest and knocking him onto his back. Orga attempted to stomp on Gohan's forehead, but he warped away a split second before Orga's foot smashed into the floor. The Super Saiyan God reappeared a few feet behind them, clearly feeling his injuries.

"Gohan!" He heard someone call out, and he turned to see a gold-cloaked Jellal dash past him and slam into Orga, sending the God Slayer flying past Juvia.

"My Master said you might interfere." Juvia told the former Wizard Saint.

"Did he say what to do when I showed up?" Jellal questioned.

"He did." Juvia replied before turning to look at Orga, "We're done here."

"He told you to run?!" Jellal demanded of the God Slayers, moving to chase them as a portal appeared on the wall behind them. He stopped when he felt Gohan grab his left forearm, however.

"We're not ready." Gohan muttered, and Jellal looked at the man in surprise. The next time he looked towards Juvia and Orga, they were already gone.

Looking back to Gohan, Jellal watched as the demi-Saiyan's hair flashed to its original color before he fell forward. Jellal caught him under his arms, catching a glimpse at the deep gash on Gohan's back that ran diagonally from his lower right and up to his left shoulder. The edges of the wound were burned, slowing some of the bleeding.

"How's it look?" Gohan questioned weakly as Jellal eased him to the ground.

"We need to get you to a healer, now." He replied, "Think you can handle instant transmission right now?"

"Maybe." Gohan answered with a smirk, "Won't know until I've tried, right?"

"Something like that." Jellal agreed, grinning despite the situation.

"Gohan!" The two heard Videl call out.

"Jellal," Gohan requested, "Don't let Pan see me…"

"Stay back, Videl!" The former saint shouted to her.

"Is Papa hurt?" The two men could hear the little girl question from the other end of the hall.

"He's fine," they heard Videl lie, "He's just tired from beating up the bad guys."

"Fly home with her." Jellal instructed, "We'll meet you back at Fairy Tail."

Videl nodded before turning to leave after glancing back worriedly to her husband.

"Where's Yamcha?!" A scared Pu'ar interjected.

"I already have him." Jellal answered the cat, pulling the unconscious fighter out the wreckage and hauling him towards Gohan.

"Help me up." Gohan said, and Jellal bent down to wrap Gohan's right arm over his shoulders before standing up with him.

"Let's go." Jellal ordered, but Gohan shook his head.

"We need to check on Sting and Rogue first." The demi-Saiyan replied.

"The amount of blood on the floor says otherwise." Jellal remarked, "We'll come back and apologize later."

"But I can barely feel their ki's…" Gohan insisted.

"You probably can't feel much right now." Jellal quipped as he grabbed onto Yamcha with one hand.

"True." Gohan chuckled, "Alright, later."

The demi-Saiyan struggled to raise his right hand to his forehead as he closed his eyes.

"I can't…" Gohan panted as he tried to focus all his mind on finding someone's ki at Fairy Tail, "Wait… here we go."

The next instant, Fairy Tail's guild hall was filled with shouts and screams of surprise as the four appeared in front the bar.

"Gohan?!" Mirajane yelled, immediately recognizing the barely standing beaten and bloodied man.

"The recovery room, where?!" Jellal demanded.

"This way. Lisanna, get the other person!" Mirajane quickly answered, running around the bar and wrapping Gohan's left arm on her shoulders. She and Jellal walked Gohan to the room before finding the nearest bed and laying him sideways on it. Mirajane gasped when she saw the gash on Gohan's back.

"Where's Pan?" Gohan asked, clearly barely conscious.

"On her way back with Videl." Jellal reminded him.

"That's good." Gohan remarked.

"What happened?" Mirajane questioned.

"He took on two God Slayers at once." Jellal answered.

"Lisanna," Mirajane began as she saw her sister put the stranger on a bed.

"Go get Porlyusica, tell her it's urgent." She instructed, and her little sister nodded before sprinting out the room.

"I need to find Meldy." Jellal suddenly declared, "Do you know where she is?"

"Nobody's seen her all day." Mira replied. Jellal did not like that response.

"Go look for her," Mirajane told him, "I'll take care of these two until Porlyusica gets here."

Jellal nodded before hurrying out the room.

"I can start cleaning some of this." Mirajane muttered, mostly to herself, "Try to stay still, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." Gohan obeyed, wincing when he felt Mira brushing something soft against his wound.

"The bleeding seems to have stopped." She noted, "But the floor's going to need some cleaning."

"Sorry about the bar…" Gohan apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Mira told him, "It's been needing a good cleaning for a while."

She smiled when she saw Gohan smirk.

"I should hit you across the head for taking on two God Slayers." Mira stated, "But I'm guessing you didn't have much of a choice."

"Not really." Gohan agreed, "I was trying to save her."

"Her?"

"Juvia." Gohan explained, "She's one of them."

"A God Slayer?" She asked. Gohan nodded. Mirajane moved around the bed to stand in front of Gohan.

"She did this to you?"

Gohan nodded.

"Who's the new guy?" She questioned.

"Yamcha." He answered, "How is he?"

"He's just passed out." She told him, "He'll be okay."

Gohan nodded weakly.

"There are burn marks all over your arms." She observed, "I'm going to take this off to make sure you're not hurt anywhere else."

Gohan nodded, wincing as Mirajane ripped what was left of his blue shirt apart before tossing it aside.

"How do I look?" Gohan questioned. Any other day of the week, Mira might have been tempted to make some comment about his perfect physique; but today, she was only focused on the random burn marks that covered his body.

"These don't look like normal burns…" She examined.

"Lightning." Gohan mumbled.

"Well, that explains that." She stated.

"I need to get stronger." He reflected.

"Is that even possible?" She questioned. Gohan smiled and nodded.

"Well, it doesn't look like you'll be training for a bit." She pointed out.

"Don't worry." He replied, "I heal fast."

In the Neutral Grounds, SW of Hargeon…

Merudy removed her hood as she reached the edge of the forest, staring at the start of the shoreline. The moon and starlight reflected off the mostly calm waters. Looking at the night sky, she could not help but think about Jellal, knowing he was not going to be happy about her venturing off on her own. But Jellal's concerns was not her biggest issue at the moment. Right now, she was trying to figure out how she'd find the island that was somewhere across these waters.

"You'll never find it on your own." A familiar voice told her, causing her to jump in surprise before spinning on her heel.

"Zancrow?!" She replied, seeing her former guildmate leaning against a nearby tree.

"You're thinking about going back to Tenrou, right?" He guessed before shrugging, "You won't find anything there."

"Maybe I'll find the real Zancrow's body." She suggested.

"You think I'm an imposter?" the fire mage questioned with a smirk.

"I don't know." She said honestly, "But people aren't usually able to bring others back from the dead."

"You don't know my master like I do." Zancrow replied, "He can do anything he sets his mind to."

"I guess it's too bad he's never thought to be a good guy." She remarked.

"We are the good guys, Meldy." He argued, pushing off the tree to stand straight.

"I've never known good guys to force other people to do their bidding."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." He quipped, "And it's about time someone found a way to control these guild wizards, anyway."

"What are you talking about?"

"The same thing I was talking about back at Phantom." He explained, "Tell me, what do you think of the Magic Council?"

Merudy was confused, "The Council? I don't know…"

"I'll tell you what I think about 'em." He added, "They're a bunch of weak old morons that haven't the slightest idea of how to rule. Think about it. They know dark guilds exist and commit crimes on almost a daily basis, but they do nothing about them; and they even tell the light guilds not to do anything about them."

"They can't stop the light or dark guilds when their laws are disobeyed, or even try for that matter;" He continued listing, "They don't even know that seven dragons nearly took over the world, and we're supposed to believe they have eyes everywhere. The light guilds don't respect the council half the time, and the dark guilds never do. The council creates weapons of mass destruction, only to somehow easily lose control of them to dark guilds; I think you're pal Jellal has some personal experience with that, if I remember correctly. Nearly everything the council seeks to do ends in disaster, and it's a miracle that empire across the sea hasn't decided to expand its borders yet. If they did, they'd flatten the whole kingdom overnight. But that's the council's fault, since they want the guilds to stay weak so they can have some vague notion of control."

"Imagine, Meldy," He suggested, "If the kingdom, no, the world was united under one force. Think how great Earthland could be."

"You expect me to believe that's what you're 'master' wants?" Merudy objected, "Because the way Gohan's described him, he's doing all this for a laugh."

"Perhaps." Zancrow conceded, "But he promised me everything I've been talking about."

"And you believe him, obviously." She remarked.

"He brought me back to life, Meldy," He reminded her, "I owe him everything."

"Why are you trying to explain all this to me?" She suddenly questioned, "Why not try the same with everyone else?"

"You're not in a guild." He answered.

"Yes, I am." She reminded him.

"You're in a joke." He quipped, "Who's idea was Crime Sorciere anyway?"

"It was Urtear's." Merudy answered, slightly offended.

"I thought so." He remarked, "She was good at manipulating others and using them to get what she wanted."

"Urtear wasn't using me." She argued.

"Tell that to your entire childhood." He retorted, "How many people did you kill, just because your 'mother' asked you to?"

"Urtear changed!" She insisted.

"Did she?" He questioned, "Tell me, what is your _guild's _goal?"

"To find Zeref and eliminate him."

"Are you sure?" He asked pointedly, "Did you ever once think she might have been using you and Jellal, again, just to get to Zeref?"

"No, because Urtear was a good person!" She nearly shouted. Zancrow waited to respond as Merudy took a deep breath to calm down.

"Maybe you are right," He conceded, "But you can't deny all the damage she caused before Tenrou Island. Do you know how many people she killed?"

"My point is," He added, stepping slightly closer to Merudy, "If my Master's in charge, stories like Ultear's will be a thing of the past."

"Even if he doesn't care about protecting the planet," He concluded, "At least he's sharing his power with others so they can."

She looked at him thoughtfully as she processed his words.

"You're definitely not lying when you say you're a different person," She finally replied, "But I'm still not sure if I can trust you."

"I think I understand." He said, "Look; take your time and think about all this. Heck, go talk about it with Jellal. Until then, I've got work to do."

A portal appeared on a tree behind Merudy, who did not notice it until Zancrow walked past her as he approached it.

"It was nice seeing you again, Meldy." He stated with his back to her, only barely turning his head to the left to see her out the corner of his eye, "I'm glad I didn't have to hurt you this time."

After that, he stepped through the portal as it closed behind him.

In the morning…

"When do you think he's going to wake up?"

Gohan heard the high-pitched whisper easily as he slowly opened his eyes.

"I think now's your answer, Pu'ar." He heard as he tried to rub his eyes. His arms were instantly seized by someone.

"Easy, Gohan." Yamcha said as he held the demi-Saiyan still, "The cut's not entirely healed yet, so move slow."

Gohan nodded before gently sitting up and turning to face the fighter.

"Thanks, Yamcha." He said with a faint smile, "It's good to see you're okay."

"Those guys were crazy strong last night." Yamcha reflected with a hint of shame, "I just got in your way."

"Well, that was why Videl and I asked for no one else to follow us here." Gohan pointed out, "But I'm glad you're here now."

"Huh?" The older fighter asked in confusion, "You're not mad?"

"A little." Gohan replied honestly, "But there's nothing we can do about the past, right?"

"Yeah." Yamcha agreed nervously, "Sure."

Yamcha looked aside to Pu'ar and shrugged hopefully.

"Edo knows where our way home is, and we can't risk him getting any ideas involving Earth." The demi-Saiyan informed the man, "I need you to go back, ahead of me, and tell my dad about Edo."

"Okay," Yamcha replied thoughtfully, "But did you just say, 'ahead of me'? You're coming back to Earth?"

"That's right." Gohan said with a nod, and the three suddenly heard a gasp from the door. Looking quickly to the source of their interruption, they saw Mirajane standing in the doorway with a full breakfast tray.

"I'm sorry." She quickly apologized as the door closed behind her. Gohan noticed there was an unusual hint of nervousness in her as she apologized. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop…"

"How much did you hear?" The demi-Saiyan asked nicely.

"That you're going back to your home." She answered before suddenly questioning him, "Why?"

"So I can train." He explained pointedly, "I'll need to if I want to beat Edo."

"What about the others that came with you?" She asked next, "What are they doing? Are they leaving with you too?"

"If they want." Gohan replied, "Have Goten and Trunks come back from that job yet?"

"Not yet." She answered before adding, "I hope they get in soon, though. A special request came in for Natsu and Gray; it's pretty important."

Gohan suddenly turned back to Yamcha and Pu'ar as he stood up slowly.

"You two should probably get going." He instructed, "I'm guessing I'll be leaving in a couple hours."

Yamcha nodded before glancing at Pu'ar and standing up. They moved to the door, but Mirajane was still in the way.

"What if Edo attacks us while you're gone?" She questioned Gohan, "How do you know he won't try anything?"

"I know it's a gamble." He replied honestly, "But it's a risk we have to take."

She looked between the three, surprisingly sternly, before sighing and stepping out of Yamcha and Pu'ar's way. Gohan watched as the two exited before watching Mira as she set the tray she had been carrying on the empty bed Gohan was laying on.

"I brought some food for them too." She told him as she placed the tray, "But I guess it's all yours now."

"Thanks, Mira." He replied apologetically as he watched her stare at the tray.

"When do you think you'll be back?" She asked after looking back at him.

"Whenever my training's done." He answered before adding with a shrug, "I don't really know when, though."

"Can't you train here?" She questioned in one last attempt to get him to stay. Gohan shook his head.

"I can't get the right kind of training unless I go home." He explained. She nodded in understanding.

"I promise I'll come back." He told her, "I don't plan on leaving you guys to deal with Edo on your own."

"I know." She replied calmly, "I'm just worried."

Gohan walked around the bed to stand directly in front of her before he put his right hand on her left shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't be." He told her before giving her a grin, "It's not your style."

Somewhere in Fiore…

Mard Geer ran his fingers lovingly over the spine of the precious book he carried around obsessively, waiting impatiently on his throne. He was about to wonder how much longer his invited guest was going to make him wait when a portal appeared on the wall across the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, old friend." Edo apologized as he stepped through the darkness, "But one of my designs has me quiet puzzled at the moment."

"You're puzzled?" Geer remarked, "A rare occasion indeed. Perhaps one of the Nine could assist you?"

"It's kind of you to offer aid," Edo replied, "But I prefer to keep some projects 'in house', if you know what I mean."

"As you wish." Geer said with a nod.

"I heard you were looking for me." Edo stated.

"Indeed." Geer replied, "I wanted to compliment your work at Sabertooth."

"You did?" Edo questioned with a broad grin, "I knew you wouldn't be disappointed."

"Compliments are not the only reason you're here, however." Geer continued, "You are here because you promised to keep the god away."

"I think I more than proved my people's ability to do that." Edo bragged.

"It's not enough." Geer stated, to Edo's slight surprise, "You should have killed him."

"You know I don't do things like that." Edo replied, his grin never fading, "It wouldn't have been fun or fair to take him out like that."

"I don't care about your entertainment." Geer argued.

"I know what you care about." Edo remarked, "And Gohan will not interfere with your work, I promised that."

"Nevertheless," Geer insisted, "I want you to make sure he does not. The time for the opening of the gates is near."

"Last night Gohan witnessed our strength for the first time." Edo pointed out, "If I know him as well as I think I do, he's probably considering his options right now. The hope is that he'll head back home to train, that way he'll be out of your hair."

"And if you're wrong?" Mard asked.

"If Gohan is fool enough to attempt a resistance now," Edo answered, "Then we'll kill him with ease, though I'm sure he realizes his current odds. I'm sure of it, Gohan's going home."

"If that's true," Mard requested, "Then you must ensure he will never return."

"That's not an option." Edo quipped sternly, his grin finally disappearing.

"It is if you wish to have a place to continue your work." Geer insisted.

"I have no problem with locating a new research facility." Edo stated matter-of-factly.

"Then leave." Geer remarked, "But did you not promise to keep the god away?"

"I did, but-"

"Then fulfill your promise."

Geer could see the flash of irritation in Edo's eyes as Edo could see Geer slightly tense in his seat. The two stared each other down for a minute before Edo cracked a smile.

"Fine." He conceded amiably, "I see I can't change your mind. What's the phrase, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'? I guess we can play things your way for a time."

"I'm glad you agree." Geer offered.

"So am I." Edo agreed, turning away from Geer before lifting up his right index finger and adding, "Buuut…"

"There is one thing we need to clear up." He continued as he turned back to face Geer. Pointing his finger at Mard Geer, the leader of the Nine Gates froze up as darkness surrounded Edo's extended hand. Edo pointed to the other side of the room, and Mard was thrown from his seat before crashing into the wall Edo was pointing at. Before Geer could recover, Edo lifted his hand; and Geer's back was pressed against the wall as he was lifted up. Edo walked to Mard before grabbing the demon by the throat with his magic-cloaked hand.

"You've forgotten your place, my friend." Edo informed Geer with venom in his voice, slightly tightening his grip, "You didn't believe you actually have power over me, did you?"

Geer tried to reply, but Edo squeezed his throat harder.

"I am Master of Curses and Darkness Incarnate." Edo reminded him, "I'm more than a force of nature, because nature does as I bid. And to demons like your little gang here, I'm a god. Now tell me, Mard Geer Tartaros, what's a demon king to a demon god?"

Geer was still unable to answer, struggling to breath under Edo's grip. He could feel the man's claw-like nails digging into his skin.

"I know you'll come right back if I killed you." Edo stated, "I made that possible, remember? Still, I'm half tempted to rip your throat out and watch you wriggle around on the floor for my amusement…"

"Eh, I'll spare you the embarrassment." He added after he shrugged, "For old time's sake."

Edo released Geer, who fell to the floor with a gasp as he recovered his breathing.

"I will do as you so politely requested." Edo informed him, "But only because I keep my promises. Just know that this is a personal sacrifice I am making; I detest changing my games."

Geer nodded weakly as he rubbed his throat.

"And as for your 'ambitions'," Edo concluded, "Old friend and pawn of mine, you are on your own."

Two hours later, at Fairy Tail…

Natsu kicked open the entrance excitedly as Happy darted past him before following his friend straight to the bar. Lucy shook her head at the two before walking inside, and Goten chuckled as he led Wendy and Charle inside. The group was met at the bar by Gohan, Pan, Videl, and Mirajane.

"Welcome back, you guys!" Mira greeted as Natsu and Happy reached the bar.

"We need as much food as you can make, Mira." Natsu requested to greet her, "We're dying of hunger here."

"Aye!" Happy agree, falling over on the bar as he feigned weakness. The takeover mage giggled in response.

"Hey, Mira." Lucy greeted as she reached the bar with Goten, Wendy, and Charle.

"How'd the job go?" Videl asked curiously.

"You guys won't believe it," Lucy informed them, "But Natsu didn't break anything."

"That is surprising." Mirajane remarked.

"Hey!" Natsu whined, "I can control myself."

"I'm sure you can." Gohan agreed with the Dragon Slayer before asking, "Where's Trunks or Gray?"

"They went to Fairy Hills." Lucy answered.

"That's weird." Videl remarked before looking to Gohan, "Wasn't Trunks supposed to come straight to you when he got back?"

"He must be worried about Gray." Charle volunteered, "He followed Gray after Lucy pointed out that Gray doesn't usually skip lunch at Fairy Tail."

"This crap with Juvia's messing with him." Natsu stated, resting his head on the bar as he spoke, "It's pretty obvious."

"I should probably go talk to him before we go." Gohan said, mostly to Videl.

"And where would you two be going?" Lucy questioned with a hint of mischief in her tone.

"Gohan, Videl, and Pan are about to go back home for a while." Mirajane informed her.

"What?!" Lucy, Charle, Happy, and Natsu all said in surprise.

"Does Master Makarov know you're leaving?" Lucy questioned Gohan.

"He does." Mirajane answered for him, "And he's a little sad he's not going to be back in time to say goodbye in person."

"Am I coming too?" Goten asked his brother.

"You can stay here if you want," Gohan answered, "But you know how much Mom's probably missing us."

"Yeah." Goten agreed, "Okay, I'll come."

"Goten…" He heard Wendy say behind him. He spun around excitedly before replying to her.

"You're gonna love it back home, Wendy." He promised her, but was soon shut down.

"Wendy can't come with us." Gohan told his brother.

"Why not?" Goten argued, confused.

"We're not going back to visit, we're going back to train." Gohan explained, "We'll be gone for months, and Wendy's needed here."

"Gohan is right." Charle agreed, "If you three are leaving, we've got to worry about Edo now more than ever. Wendy's one of the only healers this guild has, and if Edo or someone else comes after Fairy Tail, I'm sure we're going to need her help."

"I've already lost count of how many times I was happy Wendy was around." Lucy chimed in.

"Aye." Happy agreed.

"But what if Wendy wants to come with us?" Goten questioned.

"Goten, I really want to go with you," Wendy answered, reaching out and lightly squeezing his right forearm, "But they're right, and a couple months is a long time for something to go wrong. Right now, I need to be here."

"Okay then." Goten replied, surprisingly cheerily, "I'll stay too."

The members of their audience either rolled their eyes, sighed, or shook their head at Goten's attachment. Except for Natsu and Happy, who were too busy eating their recently-arrived order to care about or notice what was going on around them.

"Child, go home and see your family." Charle said to Goten, "We'll all still be here when you get back."

"Goten," Wendy added, "Remember when you said you were worried about your strength?"

Goten nodded.

"When you train here, I just get in the way." She told him, "But if you go home you can focus on training and get much stronger than you could by staying here. And Fairy Tail needs you to be as strong as possible if we're going to beat Edo."

Goten took a moment to ponder her words.

"I guess you're right." He finally agreed.

"Now that that's taken care of." Gohan remarked, slowly standing up, "I'll go talk with Gray and Trunks, and then we're leaving when I get back."

Goten nodded, slightly sad, as his brother walked past him.

"Hey, Gohan!" Natsu said with a mouthful of food as he jumped in front of the demi-Saiyan, "You can't leave until you fight me!"

Gohan grinned weakly in response.

"Sorry, Natsu," He apologized, pulling down the collar of his blue undershirt to show some of his bandages with one hand while he put two fingers to his forehead, "But I'm not in fighting condition at the moment."

Before anyone could question him about his injuries, Gohan disappeared.

At Fairy Hills…

Gohan appeared in the center of what appeared to be Gray's room, and he was slightly surprised to see that neither Trunks nor Gray noticed his arrival. The two were currently hovering over a desk, and Trunks seemed to be drawing something as Gray watched with intent.

"Hey, Gohan." Trunks greeted without looking up.

"Hey, guys." Gohan replied, noticing that Gray had not greeted him and hoping that was not an indication of Gray's anger with him, "What are we working on?"

"Gray was describing the lacrima they used on Juvia." Trunks explained, "And I'm trying to draw it."

"Okay," Gohan said, puzzled yet intrigued, "But why?"

"I may be a kid." Trunks stated, "But I still know my basic rocket science… and engineering. The point is: I think we might be able to build something to fight Edo's control, maybe even break his machines too."

"You do?" Gohan questioned, walking closer to the two and leaning over to look at the work in progress.

"Maybe." Trunks replied thoughtfully as he slowed his drawing, "But I don't know anything about magical engineering. If I have enough time and some help with research, I might come up with something."

"Gramps will make sure you get the help, I guarantee it." Gray assured, "And Levy may know about some books you can read to get started."

"That sounds like a plan." Gohan agreed, "I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Gray."

"No thanks to you." Gray remarked coldly, "And I'm not forgiving you until you kick Edo's ass."

"I'll accept that." Gohan replied before seeing Trunks set down his pencil, "Can we talk, Trunks?"

Gohan led the younger demi-Saiyan out the room and a few feet down the hall before he turned around and started the conversation.

"Videl, Pan, Goten, and I are going back to Earth to train." He informed Trunks, "I wanted to see if you're coming too."

"You're giving me a choice?" Trunks questioned. He was getting used to taking orders from Gohan.

"I was going to recommend coming home with us," Gohan answered honestly, "But with these plans you're working on, you won't get any work done on them back home."

"You're right about that." Trunks agreed as he thought, "I know Mom's not going to be too happy when she hears I decided not to come home, though."

"And that's why I was going to recommend going home." Gohan added.

"Eh, I guess I'll stay." Trunks concluded, "Someone's gotta pay your rent anyway."

Gohan laughed weakly with a nod.

"I'm fine with your staying here." Gohan stated, "But you have to promise me you won't do anything reckless, and that you won't fight any of Edo's group without me."

"Done." Trunks agreed.

"Good." Gohan finalized, "I guess you're going to get right back to work?"

"Yep." Trunks said with a nod, turning and walking back to Gray's room.

"Okay," Gohan replied, "I'll tell everyone you said goodbye."

"See ya later." Trunks said before opening the door to Gray's room and closing it behind him. Gohan watched Trunks leave him in the hallway before putting two fingers to his forehead and focusing on Goten's ki. He was suddenly confused when he noticed Goten was not at Fairy Tail, but on the other side of Magnolia. But when he felt the other ki that was with his brother's, he figured out what was going on.

Back at Fairy Tail…

As soon as Gohan left, Videl had successfully shut down the idea of a going away party, but she could not prevent the group by the bar from telling the others about her leaving with Gohan, Pan, and Goten. Soon enough, a number of Fairy Tail wizards were by the bar waiting to say goodbye to their friends. Pan was enjoying the attention, talking to nearly anyone that came up to her and her mother, who was busy talking with Levy and Lucy at the moment; while Goten chatted with Wendy, Charle, Lisanna, and Mirajane.

A few minutes into their conversation, Wendy leaned into Goten's shoulder as Charle was saying something to Mirajane and Lisanna.

"Can you meet outside in a minute?" She asked him quietly.

"Yeah." He said with a nod.

"And what are you two talking about?" Mirajane questioned them.

"I asked Goten if he wanted more food." Wendy lied.

"And?" Charle asked.

"I said, 'You bet I do!'" Goten chimed in, "I'd love some more fish."

"Aye Sir! Fish all around!" The group heard Happy cheer from his corner of the bar.

"Fish it is." Mira agreed with a giggle before heading into the kitchen to place their orders. Charle was still looking at Wendy and Goten skeptically while Lisanna joined Videl's conversation with Lucy and Levy.

"I'm going to the bathroom, Charle." Wendy lied as she got out her seat.

"Okay." Charle replied as Wendy turned to leave. The Exceed noticed Wendy said something to Goten before she left, but she did not hear what her friend had said. She quickly figured the two out, but she also decided there was no harm in letting them say goodbye.

As soon as Wendy closed the guild hall doors behind her, she turned around to see someone she had not seen in a while.

"Romeo?" She asked as the fire mage approached.

"Hey, Wendy." He greeted her dully before moving to pass her.

"Wait." Wendy told him, grabbing him by the right arm and gently pulling him back in front of her, "Are you okay? You look sick."

"I'm fine." He replied, "I just haven't slept much."

"Why aren't you sleeping?" She questioned.

"I've just been busy working." Romeo half-lied, scratching the back of his neck as he answered.

"Do you want me to heal you?" Wendy asked, "You'll feel a lot better. Here."

Wendy did not wait for his permission before placing her right hand on the center of his chest. Her hand shone with a bright green aura that quickly ran over Romeo's body before fading away.

"Thanks, Wendy." Romeo told her as the doors to Fairy Tail opened and Goten appeared.

"Hey Romeo!" Goten greeted him happily as Wendy removed her hand from Romeo's chest, "What's up?"

"Not much." The fire mage replied, "Just getting back from another job."

"Mira told me you were doing some pretty hard jobs by yourself." Goten added, "That's awesome. You want some fish?"

Goten extended the full tray of food he was carrying to Romeo.

"No thanks, Goten." Romeo replied, "I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Okay." Goten agreed and Wendy nodded before the fire wizard went inside the guild.

"I'm worried about him." She told Goten after the doors closed.

"He looked okay to me." Goten remarked.

"You didn't see him before I healed him." Wendy replied, "He looked like he hadn't slept in days."

"He's probably tired from all those jobs he's been on." Goten suggested before changing the subject, "Anyway, why did you want me to meet you out here?"

"It's really nice that everyone wants to say goodbye and everything," Wendy explained, "But I was hoping, could we spend some more time together… before you go?"

"You know the answer to that." Goten said happily before walking up to her, "Where are we going?"

A couple minutes and a brief flight later, the Slayer and Saiyan were on the roof of the Kardia Cathedral, talking as they ate the food Goten brought with him.

"Now I know why you told me to bring the fish." Goten commented after he cleared his throat. Wendy smiled in response.

"I know it's not night time," She admitted, "But this spot still means something to me."

"Me too," Goten agreed, "Our first date was here."

"Only you didn't know it was a date back then." She poked fun at him.

"Yeah," He agreed again, "I learned a lot from coming here. And I am glad Gohan was explaining some of that stuff to me instead of my mom or dad; that might have been weird."

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Well, everyone says that my dad's just like me, and I don't know how I would explain stuff like that;" He explained, "And Gohan told me how weird it was to get the talk from Mom."

Wendy was about to respond when Goten spoke first.

"I'm sorry I won't be helping you train anymore," He apologized, "You're getting really good with your ki, though."

"I think I'll be okay while you're gone." Wendy assured him, "It definitely won't be as fun training without you, but I'll get much stronger by the time you get back."

"Maybe we'll spar when I get back." Goten suggested, "I'd love to see how strong you'll be."

"You'll probably be able to use Super Saiyan 3 by the time you get back." She guessed, "Hopefully, without passing out this time."

"That fight was awesome." Goten reflected, and Wendy giggled at him.

"I'm going to miss you." He stated sadly. She moved closer to him, grabbed his right hand with her left, and wrapped her arm around his.

"I'll miss you too, Goten." She replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

The two were quiet as they looked at the midday horizon for a moment before Goten spoke.

"Hey, Wendy?" He asked as she lifted her head to look at him, "Can I kiss you?"

"Goten," She answered, touching the left side of his face with her right hand, "You know you don't have to ask for permission to do that."

"I know," Goten replied, "I just thought I-"

He was interrupted by Wendy, who pressed her lips against his for a passionate kiss. Goten was almost breathless when they broke apart.

"Wow." He remarked with a dumb grin. Wendy smiled shyly in response. She was going to say something to Goten, but the noise of Gohan's arrival gained her attention.

"I see you didn't stay at Fairy Tail like you were supposed to." Gohan remarked to greet Goten before adding, "But I think I'll let it slide this time. We're ready to go whenever you are, bro."

"I'm ready." Goten replied.

"Let's go back to Fairy Tail, then." Gohan told the two. Goten quickly moved to his brother's side before noticing that Wendy had not followed him.

"Are you coming back to the guild with us?" Gohan questioned her. Wendy shook her head.

"I'll go back in a bit." She told him, "I just want to stay up here a little more- and keep dreaming."

Goten smiled cheerily at her while Gohan furrowed his brow.

"Okay," Gohan replied, slightly confused, "Well, I guess I'll see you later then."

The demi-Saiyans disappeared after she said goodbye, arriving in the middle of the crowd by the Fairy Tail bar next to Videl and Pan.

"Where did they go?" Charle asked Gohan knowingly.

"Kardia Cathedral." He answered quickly, "Wendy said she wanted to stay there for a while."

"Are we finally ready?" Videl questioned her husband.

"We are." Gohan affirmed, "Let's go."

It did not take long for them to say their goodbyes, and it was only after a few minutes that they were outside the guild and heading for the woods. A few more minutes later, and Videl was revealing the location of their hidden door to Earth. She was opening the door when Goten realized something was amiss.

"Hey, where's Trunks?" He wondered aloud.

"Trunks is staying to help deal with Edo while we're gone." Gohan informed his brother.

"Oh." Goten replied, "Okay."

"C'mon you two." Videl said before entering the doorway with Pan. Gohan moved to follow, but he stopped just as he reached the tree and turned back to Goten, who had nearly bumped into him when he suddenly halted.

"Hey, Goten," He asked curiously, "Wendy said she was going to stay up there and keeping dreaming, right? What did that mean?"

"I don't know." Goten lied with a shrug, "Sounds weird to me."

"Huh." Gohan remarked with interest, "Okay. Don't forget to close the door behind you."

Goten nodded and watched as his brother stepped into the doorway, following him as he disappeared. Grabbing the part of the tree that doubled as a door, Goten took one last glance at his surroundings before leaving Earthland behind. As the door closed behind Goten, an oddly dark shadow widened on a neighboring tree.

Two minutes ago at Fairy Hills…

Trunks set down his pencil once again as he and Gray looked over the drawing.

"Did it look like this?" The demi-Saiyan asked.

"That's pretty close." Gray answered thoughtfully.

"It's missing the runes that run across it, though." A third voice chimed in, and Trunks and Gray both jumped as soon as their uninvited guest spoke.

"I'm sorry," Edo apologized as he greeted them, letting his portal on the wall by the door remain open, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You!" Gray shouted, quickly grabbing Edo by the collar with both hands and lifting him up, "Where's Juvia?!"

"Easy, Gray, you almost knocked my hood off." Edo warned him before adding, "And you do know the only reason you're touching me is because I'm allowing it, right?"

"You should allow me to hit you in the face a couple times too, while you're at it." Gray mocked angrily, "Now where is Juvia?"

"That's why I came to talk, actually." He informed the ice mage, "I wanted to make a deal with you."

"And why should Gray trust you?" Trunks demanded.

"Quiet Trunks," Edo ordered the teen, "The grownups are talking."

"Don't listen to him, Gray." Trunks insisted.

"You're annoying me, kid." Edo replied flatly, "Perhaps you should take a time out."

Edo waved a hand, and a portal suddenly appeared behind Trunks before he used some invisible force to shove Trunks into it. The demi-Saiyan yelled in surprise before disappearing with the portal, which made a faint pop as it sealed.

"What did you do with him?!" Gray demanded, slamming Edo against the wall again.

"He was talking about breaking the rules of my game," Edo stated, still eerily calm, "So I suspended him from play."

"Where is he?" Gray questioned fiercer.

"Heck if I know." Edo said with a shrug, "The spell I used banishes my enemies to a very strange place."

"What place?" Gray asked, "And why's it strange?"

"Because time flows differently for each person in there." Edo explained, "It's been two hundred years since I used this spell, but I can easily recall the changes it caused in each one of its prisoners."

"So you didn't kill him?" Gray questioned.

"And waste the thrill of watching someone appreciate my work?" Edo questioned, gesturing to the drawing on the table, "No, he'll pop up some when and somewhere in Earthland, slightly different in some way as well. To be honest, I'm just having a bad day and wanted to teach him a lesson for talking over me."

"You're having a bad day?" Gray scoffed, "Get in line."

"Well then, Gray," Edo offered, "How about we skip the line instead? I've got a new game you're going to help me play, and I'm sure you'll like the grand prize for this one."

A few minutes later, the members of Fairy Tail in the guild hall heard and felt a large explosion wrack the building. Acting quickly on instinct, the majority of the wizards hurried outside to find the source of the blast to find a large cloud of dust and ash over the nearby forest. The crowd muttered in confusion and interest as they wondered what caused the strange incident. Mirajane was at the front of the crowd, and she was one of the first to start walking to the woods.

"Stay here." She told the crowd, but Natsu, Lucy, Elfman, Lisanna, and Happy ignored her and quickly followed her. It was not long before the group reached the large crater. They knew they would find the crater, but they did not expect to find Gray and Juvia lying next to each other just on the edge of it.

"Gray?" Lucy questioned as she recognized the ice mage, "And is that…?"

"Juvia!" Mirajane shouted before hurrying to the water mage's side.

"She's okay." The oldest Strauss informed the group before looking to Gray, "But Gray looks like he's been beat up."

"It feels like it too." Gray agreed to inform the group he was still conscious.

"What happened, Gray?" Lucy questioned, "And how did Juvia get here?"

"I don't really know." Gray answered, "I heard people fighting when I was heading back to the guild, so I came here to find Gohan, Goten, and Videl fighting against Edo and Zancrow. I couldn't keep track of what was going on, and then someone accidently hit the doorway…"

"Doorway?" Lucy questioned.

"I guess they planned to use it to go home." Gray remarked, "But I don't think any of them got the chance."

"Why not?" Mirajane questioned.

"Because the door exploded." Gray said grimly as he slowly sat up, "I don't think any of them made it."


	25. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: What Comes Next…

Almost immediately as Gohan and Goten were back on Earth, they both were pulled into the strongest hug they had ever remembered their mom giving them. Chi Chi did not even notice Gohan's wincing as he held her two sons.

"I was so worried about you two!" She complained as she released them before pointing a finger at Gohan, "And I never would have let Pan stay there with you if you had told me you were dealing with some psycho the whole time!"

"Let me see my granddaughter." She ordered Videl, who was smart enough to quickly hand Pan over.

"Let's go, you two." Chi Chi commanded her sons, "Dinner's waiting."

The walk to Goku and Chi Chi's home was led by Chi Chi, who lectured Gohan and Goten about their responsibilities and their safety while Videl followed quietly behind them, hoping to avoid her mother-in-law's wrath entirely.

Goten, the last one to finish eating, had just finished when his father appeared standing next to Chi Chi, wearing his slightly torn, Whis-styled dogi.

"Dad!" Goten cheered excitedly.

"Hey guys!" Goku greeted them happily before Goten tackled him with a hug.

Gohan, Pan, and Videl laughed as the two toppled over; but Chi Chi was not as happy, since they nearly managed to knock her over as well.

"Ow," Goku joked as he pat Goten on the back, "I missed you two, little guy."

"Get off the floor, Goku." Chi Chi ordered, "You two know you're not supposed to play around like that at the dinner table."

"Sorry, Chi Chi."

"Sorry, Mom."

The two apologized simultaneously as they stood up, scratching the back of their heads with the same apologetic grin as well.

"So guys," Goku asked to change the subject, "What's Earthland like?"

Gohan, Goten, Videl, and even Pan recounted some of their favorite parts about the world, telling Goku and Chi Chi about Fairy Tail, and describing the different kind of magic they saw. Chi Chi gasped when she saw Goten's guild mark, and they quickly explained that it was not some kind of tattoo.

"I'd show mine if I could." Gohan said as he finished explaining the guild mark, "But it's covered at the moment."

"Yamcha told me what happened." Goku replied, "It sounds like there are some pretty nasty bad guys over there. What's that guy's name again? Edo? It's a weird name."

"We're not sure it's really his name, though." Gohan stated before adding, "We barely know anything about him, really."

"How strong is he?" the pure Saiyan questioned.

"No one's fought him yet." Gohan answered, "But I'm assuming he's just as strong as the two I fought yesterday, maybe stronger."

"It sounds like you could use some help." Goku volunteered, almost too quickly.

"Probably." Gohan agreed, "But I need training first."

"You're not planning on leaving with your father, are you?" Chi Chi asked her oldest son, "You have a daughter to help raise, you know."

"Mom," Gohan began to argue, but stopped when Videl nudged his side with her elbow.

"I can handle a few months on my own, Chi Chi; and you and Goten will be right next door." She spoke for her husband, "I'm fine with Gohan getting training. He needs it."

"I don't even know if Whis will train him, to be honest." Goku informed the group, though he was speaking mostly to his wife, "He doesn't like taking on extra students."

"Oh, that's right!" Goku suddenly said, turning to Gohan as he remembered something important, "Whis did say he wanted to talk to you!"

"Really?" Gohan asked, "When?"

"Before I left him at Bulma's." His father answered before adding with a scratch of his head, "Actually, he might be waiting for us right now."

"You should probably go then." Videl suggested, "I don't think you'd want to make Whis wait any longer."

"I'll meet you there, Dad." Gohan said. Goku nodded before saying goodbye to everyone else and disappearing.

"I'm guessing this might take a bit." Gohan said as he stood up and turned to Videl and Pan, "I'll see you two when I get home, okay?"

"You better." Videl remarked as Gohan smirked and turned back to his mother and brother. He said goodbye to them before disappearing as well. As soon as Gohan left the room, Videl looked at Goten with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, Goten." She teased him, "Gohan isn't here to help you change the subject now."

"Huh?" Goten feigned ignorance.

"You know what I'm talking about." She insisted.

"Not really." He lied.

"I certainly don't know what you're talking about." Chi Chi commented.

"Well," Videl began, "You see, Chi Chi, th-"

"Videeel!" Goten whined.

"Don't interrupt, Goten." His mother scolded him, "It's rude."

Goten went quiet, but he gave Videl a pleading look that spoke well enough for him.

"'Kissy, kissy', Goten." She taunted before turning back to Chi Chi, "Goten's forgotten to tell you about Wendy."

"Who's Wendy?" Chi Chi questioned with interest, "Is she another member of Fairy Tail?"

Goten scratched the back of his head very nervously.

"Yes, and she's a friend." He lied again. He watched as his mother gave him an appraising look.

"Wendy is somewhat of a celebrity in Earthland." Videl added, "She's a Sky Dragon Slayer."

"One of the seven you were telling us about?" Chi Chi recollected, slightly impressed.

"That's right." Videl affirmed, "Goten was training with her most of the time he was there, actually."

"Oh, really?" Chi Chi replied before looking to Goten, "Why didn't you tell me about her, Goten?"

"Because he's also been dating her." Videl said nonchalantly. Goten shut his eyes and tensed up in preparation for whatever reaction his mother was about to have once she had finished processing Videl's words. The response, however, came in the form of Videl's shouting in surprise and a loud thud as Chi Chi fell out her chair and hit the floor. The two helped her back up, both apologizing as they did.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Goten questioned as she rubbed her head.

"I'm fine," Chi Chi answered, "But you, on the other hand, have some explaining to do."

"Pan and I will see you tomorrow." Videl quickly chimed in, knowing things were about to take a turn for Goten's worse as she picked up Pan.

"Goodnight you two," Chi Chi replied politely, and Videl almost out the door when Chi Chi turned back to Goten with her hands on her hips. She waited for the door to close before speaking.

"So, Son Goten," She questioned sternly, "Who's Wendy?"

"Momma?" Pan asked after they were outside, "Is Uncle Ten in trouble?"

"A little." Videl answered honestly with a smirk.

"But, I thought you're not supposed to laugh at someone when they get in trouble…" Pan recalled for her mother.

"You're not." Videl agreed, "But this is different, you'll understand when you get older."

The two reached their home, and Videl carried Pan inside with a relieved sigh.

"Home, Sweet Home." She said to no one in particular before looking to Pan, "Are you ready to go to sleep?"

Her daughter shook her head.

"Me neither." Videl agreed with a smile, "It may be night here, but it's still early afternoon in Earthland. I forgot we'd have to readjust to Earth time."

Ten minutes later, Gohan arrived in the center of the kitchen to see his wife and daughter at work by the counter.

"It's about time you got back." Videl remarked as she turned around to greet her approaching husband, "Feels good to be home, right?"

"More than you know." Gohan replied, letting Videl give him a peck on the lips as he reached her.

"What are we working on?" He asked, looking to the counter as Videl turned to look with him.

"Momma and I are making cookies!" Pan announced happily, showing her father the two dozen raw clumps of dough on a baking tray.

"That's a lot more than usual." Gohan observed. He smiled when he saw Pan nod excitedly in agreement.

"I figured we were celebrating coming home." Videl explained, "Is there a problem with that?"

"Hey, I'm not complaining about extra cookies." Gohan remarked, Pan nodded happily again. Videl shook her head at the two with a sigh before grabbing the tray and putting it in the oven.

An hour and a half later, Videl joined Gohan in their bedroom.

"Pan's finally asleep." She announced as she closed the door behind her, "I knew she'd crash after a sugar rush."

"So that's why you made more cookies?" Gohan concluded from his seat on the corner of the bed, smirking when Videl nodded.

"And here I thought you were just spoiling her to make up for all the time I got to spend with her." Gohan remarked as his wife sat to his right.

"Maybe it was both." Videl half-joked before changing the subject, "What did Whis want to talk to you about? Is he going to train you?"

"He will." Gohan answered.

"That's a relief." She replied.

"But he wanted to teach me even before I asked." Gohan revealed.

"Really?" Videl questioned.

"Yeah," He affirmed, "I don't know why, but that's what he said."

"And do you know when you'll start training?"

"He's giving me two days to rest before he comes to get me." He told her.

"I'm glad he didn't make you leave with your dad." She remarked.

"Me too." He agreed, "It's not really like I could have started training today, though."

"That was the next thing I was going to ask." Videl added, "How's your back? I hope your mom didn't aggravate it with that hug."

"It was a little sore earlier." He replied, "But I think it's fine now."

"Let me see." She instructed before scooting behind him and helping him out of his blue and orange shirts. She carefully unwrapped her husband's bandaging, starting from his shoulders. Before even the first few bits of wrapping were removed, Videl could see the top part of the large scar on his back.

"Well, it does look all healed up." She observed as she removed the last of the bandages, "But that scar's definitely permanent."

"I thought it would be." Gohan agreed, "It's not too ugly, is it?"

"No," Videl assured him, "It makes you look tough."

Gohan chuckled at his wife's comment before he felt her run a hand along the scar.

"This doesn't hurt, does it?" She asked cautiously, stopping her hand in the middle of his back.

"No," He answered, "It feels nice, really."

Gohan closed his eyes as he felt her finish following the scar before starting to give him a backrub.

"Mm." He said after a moment of quiet.

"Feels good?" Videl questioned him.

"Really good." Gohan confirmed.

"I guess you won't mind if I stop then." She joked before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her.

"I'm fine with this too." Gohan told her with a faint laugh, resting the back of his head on her left shoulder. The two enjoyed the physical contact for a moment before Gohan broke the silence.

"Did I tell you how much you mean to me today?" He asked flirtatiously, turning his head to see her face.

"I think you did that when you let me eat the last cookie." She joked, smiling as she got a laugh from her husband.

"Maybe," Gohan remarked, still wearing a smile, "But I feel like I should say I love you anyway."

"It certainly doesn't hurt to say it." Videl replied before placing her lips against his. Gohan happily returned the kiss until their lips parted a moment later. When Videl opened her eyes, she saw a familiar expression on Gohan's face, one that made her feel pride and excitement every time she saw it.

"Hey," Gohan questioned, "You weren't completely lying when you said we were celebrating right?"

"I wasn't." She answered, "But I was having trouble with figuring out how to celebrate."

"Maybe I can help?" He asked hopefully, "I think I've got an idea."

"I'm sure you do." She joked before bringing her lips close to his right ear and whispering, "Lucky for you, I'm open to suggestions."

In the Kingdom of Fiore, in a bar known to be frequented by dark wizards…

Dark wizards were scattered by a large explosion that blew the front door to shreds before the room filled with panic.

"They're here!" A few shouted. "It's him!" Some others yelled. Whatever they were yelling, they all were essentially saying the same thing: Crime Sorciere had come calling, and they seemed to be on the warpath.

"GRAND CHARIOT!" Jellal shouted, and the symbols appeared on the ceiling before the attack rained onto the dark wizards.

Jellal grabbed a downed wizard by the collar and lifted him up before the smoke even cleared.

"The dark wizard Edo," He demanded from the terrified man, "Where is he?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the man replied, "Please don't hurt me!"

Jellal threw the man aside before walking around and picking up another wizard in the same fashion as the first.

"Edo," He ordered intensely, "What do you know about him?!"

"Who's Edo?!" The woman questioned, grabbing Jellal's wrists as she begged for mercy, "I don't know him! Just let me go!"

Jellal could see the woman was too terrified to lie, and he dropped her with a sigh before letting her run off.

"Anything?" He asked his partner as he scanned the wreckage in front of him.

"Nothing." Merudy replied as she approached her friend, "I don't think we're going to find something here."

"Damnit!" Jellal yelled, slamming a fist onto a table, which broke in half under the force of the impact.

"We can't keep tearing places apart like this." Merudy stated as she surveyed the bar, "Someone's going to figure out what we're doing."

"That won't stop me." Jellal remarked, moving past the broken table and heading for the bar, "I'll kick down every door in Earthland until we find something."

"We're losing sources on other dark guilds every time we raid places like this, you know." She reminded him as he reached the bar.

"Perhaps." Jellal replied before hopping over the bar, "Maybe the bartender will know something."

Looking under the bar, Jellal saw three people huddled closely together, staring at him with terrified expressions.

"Which one of you runs this place?" He questioned calmly. Two of them pointed to the man on their left.

"You two may go." Jellal informed them, and the bartender gulped as the two that sold him out made a run for it, "Are you going to come out, or do I have to drag you out?"

"Please don't do anything else!" The man pleaded as he came out his hiding spot, "I'm just trying to make a living here!"

"How many dark wizards do you serve on a daily basis?" Jellal questioned rhetorically, "I'm guessing you hear a fair share of rumors."

"Yeah," The bartender agreed, clearly still scared senseless, "But that's all they are, rumors!"

"Even flat out lies have something in common with the truth," Jellal remarked, "Tell us what you know, and we won't burn this place down."

"Please don't, this place is all I have!" The man pleaded, but decided to answer when he saw the anger flash in Jellal's eyes, "Okay! Okay! Look, things have been weird around here lately."

"What do you mean, 'weird'?" The former Wizard Saint asked. Crossing his arms impatiently.

"Fairy Tail's shaken everything up," The man explained, "Did you hear how many guys they took down at Phantom?"

"One hundred and twelve." Jellal recounted for the man, "One hundred and thirteen if you count Porla, who I impaled with a sword."

"So you're the guy that took him out?" The man asked, even more terrified, "Well, you've gotta know what he was up to then."

"Porla was trying to fill the gap in the Balam Alliance." Merudy chipped in, "But we stopped him."

"I didn't know you guys work with Fairy Tail." The man remarked.

"We don't." Jellal lied, "We were following our own leads on Phantom before the fighting between the two broke out. But you need to tell us something we don't know, for your sake."

"Uh, I can tell you about the freaks that were in here the night before." The bartender offered, "Members of some kinda cult, I think."

"We're waiting." Jellal replied darkly.

"Right, well; these guys came in, I think four or five of them." The man began, "They were all wearing hoods, so I can't tell you what they looked like."

"That's fine." Merudy assured the man, "Just tell us what happened."

"Well, they ordered drinks like everyone else," The man recollected, glancing between Merudy and Jellal as he tried to figure out who to talk to, "But they got a little crazy after they had a few. They started picking fights with the regulars, so I kicked them out."

"Nothing about this sounds out of the ordinary." Jellal remarked, trying to show his patience was being tested.

"Let me get there!" The man requested, "On their way out the door, one of my buddies heard one of them say something about how pointless coming to the bar was; he said, 'The Underworld King has made the call'. Weird, right?"

"Tartaros." Merudy pointed out before asking, "Is there anything else strange that's happened around here?"

"You mean besides you two coming in, tearing up the place, and beating the crap out of everyone in the room?" the bartender remarked, "No, that's it."

"And you haven't happened to see a boy with light purple hair recently, have you? He had a sword with him when he went missing as well."

The bartender shook his head.

"I see." Merudy concluded, "Well, thank you for your time, then."

"Yeah," The man laughed weakly as Jellal walked past him and around the bar on his way out, "And I'm guessing you guys aren't going to pay for this?"

"Be happy you're still able to walk." Jellal replied as he headed for what was left of the door with Merudy. The man swore as he saw the two cross the doorway.

"Nothing." Jellal complained as he walked with Merudy, "This is the third place we've gone to, and we're still no closer to finding Edo."

"Well," Merudy offered, "At least we're learning where he's not."

"You know that's not good enough." Jellal replied, slightly angry, "We can't stop until he's paid for what he's done."

"You're right, he does need to be stopped," Merudy stated, "But what are we going to do if we find him?"

"That's simple." Jellal answered darkly, "We're going to kill him."

"Jellal, I think we need to actually think this through." She suggested, "Just two of his henchmen took Gohan down. I know Juvia's back on our side somehow, but we've still got Zancrow and Orga to worry about; and we don't know if he has anyone else helping him. You may be strong Jellal, but if Gohan couldn't take on two of them; we definitely can't handle three."

"You'd be surprised at what I can do when I'm pissed off." Jellal remarked.

"I don't think I would be." Merudy quipped, "I saw how badly you hurt some of those guys back there."

"What should I have done differently, Meldy?" Jellal demanded, "Knocked on their door? Asked them nicely?"

"No," Merudy replied, "I just think we need to take a step back and-"

"They're gone, Meldy." Jellal interrupted, "And the only thing that's going to make things right is Edo's elimination."

"Jellal, Edo might have died with them." She suggested, "You saw how big the crater was. Maybe Juvia's free because her controller died."

"No." Jellal disagreed, "Gray said Juvia was not there for the start of the fight. That means someone brought her there after the explosion, but we could find no trace of anyone else."

"Maybe Zancrow did it." Merudy offered, "He told me Edo was sharing his powers with him."

"I don't want to hear about Zancrow." Jellal remarked.

"He isn't a bad person anymore, Jellal, I could tell." She argued, "He's just on the wrong side."

"And as I said before," Jellal replied, "Edo could be telling him to earn your trust. He wants you weak."

"That's not what my Sensory Link with him at Phantom showed." Merudy reminded her friend, "No one was controlling him then."

"Controlled or not, he's working with Edo." Jellal stated, "That's bad enough for me, and I won't be merciful if he gets in my way. There's four debts that need to be repaid, and I have no problem if he wants to split the bill with his master."

"Jellal." Merudy suddenly said forcefully, stepping in front of him and shoving against his chest so he would stop walking, "You really need to cool off."

"What I need to do is find Edo!" Jellal yelled at her and smacked her hands away. He instantly regret his actions when he saw the wounded look on his friend's face.

"Meldy, I'm sorry." He apologized as she turned her back on him. To his surprise, she quickly spun on her heels to face him. The anger on her face was a new sight.

"Sit down, now." She commanded him, pointing him to a tree just of the side of the road. Jellal nodded quickly before doing as he was told as she followed him.

"Now you're going to listen to me." She ordered him before beginning her lecture, "We're not going to accomplish anything while we're angry. All day we've been attacking people with little to no results. If we keep being so obvious, the council's going to catch up with us. Heck, you almost ruined Fairy Tail's reputation by telling that guy we were at Phantom."

Jellal nodded gravely as he agreed.

"So far we've seen nothing to tell us if Edo is alive or dead," She continued, "We can't even find clues to where Trunks could be. As far as I'm concerned this whole day has been a waste of time."

"We learned something about Tartaros." Jellal replied, "But I agree, we haven't accomplished much."

"Here's what I think we should do," She offered, "Let's go back to Fairy Tail and watch the funeral tomorrow. I know we can't go near them because it's not just Fairy Tail that's there, but I know you'll regret not being there."

"I don't think it would help." Jellal said honestly, "It just makes me angrier every time I think about them."

"That's why we should go." Merudy insisted, "Believe me, I'm just as angry as you are. I mean, I can't begin to imagine what Wendy's going through; and to even think about Pan…"

She trailed off as she tried to maintain her own composure.

"My point is," She said with a deep breath, "We need to do something else, something constructive."

Jellal nodded before taking a moment to think.

"As much as I want to keep chasing Edo," Jellal stated, "I don't think we're going to find anything from the lower dark guilds. We need to look higher up."

"What are you thinking?" Merudy questioned.

"We haven't found anything about Edo so far," Jellal reflected, "But at all three places we heard rumors about Tartaros. I'm thinking I need to talk with Erik."

"With the Oracion Seis?" Merudy asked, surprised, "But's he's locked up."

"For now." Jellal replied, "But he seemed very confident about his situation last I heard. Besides the information he'll have on Tartaros, his hearing could help us catch Edo."

"So, what?" Merudy wondered, "Should we head for the Magic Council's headquarters and see if anything happens?"

"It sounds like an idea, and the Council would never expect we'd be watching them." Jellal said as he rubbed his chin in thought, "But perhaps we should head back to Magnolia first and wait for the funeral to start. We can pay our respects once everyone else has left."

"Now that sounds like a plan." Merudy agreed.

Somewhere on Earthland, a week later…

A lone man stumbled out of the darkness, falling and barely catching himself before his face could hit the cold and slippery rock underneath him. Figuring out he was in a cave, the man held his hand out to create a ball of light so he could see.

"It's about time I found you." An unfamiliar man's voice declared from in front of him, and the man jumped back and drew his sword as the light faded.

"Take it easy, okay?" The voice asked calmly, "I'm not going to attack you."

"Where am I?" the man demanded, sword pointed at the source of the voice, "What year is it?"

"That's a strange question." The voice remarked, "One time travelers or people waking up from comas usually ask that. I know which one you are."

"Who are you?" The man questioned.

"An enemy of your enemy." The voice said cryptically, "I can't say much else here, but I can say I know what happened to you."

"Can you fix what happened to me?" The man asked.

"It is possible." The voice replied, "But the temporal magic you've been exposed to is extremely powerful, I might not be able to fully undo what has happened."

"How do I know you can really help me?" the man wondered.

"Because I'm the one that got you out of there." The voice replied, "And not a moment too soon it would seem. Any longer and I might have found you after you hit your forties, or I might have found you as a toddler."

"You know where I was?" The man asked, ignoring the comment about his apparent age.

"To be fair, no one really knows where someone goes when they get sent into an alternate plane of existence." The voice explained, "All I know is how to find previously opened rifts and reopen them. Essentially, I fished you out. If I hadn't, you might've been stuck in there for a lot longer."

The source of the voice heard a soft click as the man sheathed his sword.

"Okay," the man concluded, "I can at least hear you out, I guess."

"Great!" the voice said happily, "We should get moving then. The sooner we get to my home, the better I can mend your aging issue. After that, I can explain everything that's happened since last week."

"It's only been a week?" The man questioned.

"That's right." The voice affirmed, "And as for where you are, you're in a cave that's located on the edge of the Principality of Veronica. Pretty close to one of my favorite villages, actually. Well, it's not a village anymore."

"What are you talking about?" The man asked, confused with the voices additional comments.

"Sorry, just reminiscing." The voice apologized, "Anyway, we should stop getting distracted. C'mon, Trunks, there are things I need your help with."

Hearing the voice say his name was the last bit of confirmation to the demi-Saiyan that he should trust the stranger.

"I'm with you." Trunks agreed, "But can you at least tell me your name?"

"Oh, crap." The voice swore at himself, "I'm sorry, where are my manners? My friends call me Iga, and I think I may have a solution for several of your problems."


	26. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: A Year Later

The ancient and immortal warrior known as Iga woke up in a good mood, as he usually does, sitting up and scratching his shaggy, bright red hair with a yawn. He lazily held his right hand over his shoulder, and a bright white orb flew from his bed side table and into his hand. He tapped the lacrima twice before it showed him the time.

"Crap!" He remarked, surprised he had overslept, "I'm almost missing breakfast; I never miss breakfast!"

Quickly jumping onto his feet, he dashed to his door before quickly entering the bathroom door on the other side of the small stone hallway. He could smell the food well before he was in the bathroom, but he could smell himself much easier; so he had decided to get a shower while he had the chance. Before he had even closed the door, he stripped off his white pants and his red silk boxers before jumping into the shower. Taking one of the quickest showers he's had in his life, he grabbed a towel as he hopped out, patting himself down a few times before taking a look at himself in the mirror.

His body was covered in scars, and he could remember the story behind each one. There was one that ran diagonally from the bottom right side of his jaw to near the middle of the left side of his neck. Another rather large scar ran down his right four abs; and a much smaller scar ran horizontally on this left side, just above his waist. One of his favorite ones to explain was the bite mark that ran over two of his left abs, his left pectoral, and his left shoulder. If he looked on his back, he knew he would see the other half of the long-healed wound, just like he knew he would see the pancake-sized circular mark on the lower right side of his back. There were two more scars on his torso: a roughly triangular burn mark that started just below the center of his right collarbone and widened out as it covered the right half of the top of his shoulder; and a large scar that ran down his right pectoral. On his face, another scar ran from under his hairline to bisect his right eyebrow and stop just under his eyelid. The only other scar on his face was tilted and cross-shaped, resting over most of his right cheek. On his right thigh was a jagged scar that crossed diagonally from the top right side of it to its center, and there was a small cross-shaped scar on the right side of his left kneecap.

His reptilian eyes were a bright yellow; and if he grinned, he would see his fang-like canines standing out from the rest of his pearly white teeth. His short fingernails were the same color as his hair, and they looked more like claws than nails. Overall, he was happy with his physical appearance; though he noticed he was a little paler than usual.

"Eh," He commented to himself, "I need to get out more."

Remembering he was hungry, he quickly pulled out a clean set of boxers and white pants from his closet before putting them on and exiting the room. He turned left out the door and walked a few yards down the hall before taking the right turn towards the kitchen and dining section of his home.

"Good morning, Trunks." He greeted the demi-Saiyan, who was sitting at the eight-seat, rectangular, wooden dinner table that was centered in the near right corner of the moderately-sized square room. In the far right corner of the room was a large, magically powered jukebox that was currently silent. The left side of the room was the kitchen, which had two fully stocked refrigerators/freezers, two ovens with stovetops, a dishwasher, and a sink; all powered by the proper lacrima.

"You too," the young man replied as he looked towards his friend, "Is everything good? You don't usually sleep this late."

"I'm fine." The warrior answered with an honest smile on his face, "I just spent a little too much time working on that remote."

"Any luck with it?"

"Not yet," he told the demi-Saiyan with a sigh, "But there could be a problem with the lacrima."

"It's possible." Trunks remarked, scratching the right side of his forehead as he remembered, "I had a weird feeling I'd messed something up."

"We'll take another look at 'em later." Iga decided before asking, "Any food left?"

"Of course." Trunks answered before pointing to the kitchen, "Lisanna put your plates in the oven to keep the food warm."

"I missed having someone around that would cook for me." Iga reflected as he retrieved his breakfast, making Trunks chuckle at him, "It's another reason I'm glad I only partially fixed your age. I knew what you were thinking about when you asked me to let you look like an eighteen year old."

"Where is she, by the way?" He questioned before Trunks could reply as he walked back to the table with both full plates in hand.

"In our room talking with her sister." Trunks answered, "She's telling her about Natsu's crazy stunt at the Grand Magic Games."

"It was about time something exciting happened down there." Iga remarked as he sat across from Trunks, "I guess Mavis is feeling pretty smug right now."

"I never met her." Trunks told him, "I was told that if you wore a Fairy Tail mark you could see her, but I never did. I don't think Gohan or Goten did either."

"Don't ever play chess with her." Iga warned with a grin as he started eating.

"Or pretty much any board game, actually." Lisanna added as she walked into the room, "Good morning, Iga, I hope you like the food."'

"It's beyond good." Iga complimented, "As usual, of course."

"Oh, stop it." She replied playfully before she neared Trunks, kissing his left cheek before sitting next him.

"How's Mira doing?" Trunks asked curiously.

"Much happier now that I told her about Natsu." His girlfriend answered, "She said work's a little boring now that I'm not waiting with her, though."

"And has she heard from Elfman?" Trunks inquired. Lisanna shook her head.

"Not yet," She explained, "But she's sending him a letter to tell him the good news."

"You guys have no clue how happy I am that Natsu showed up when he did." Iga remarked with a grin, "The Games were so boring this year, I actually thought I'd die of boredom."

"Well, I'm glad he did too then," Trunks joked, "Cause dying of boredom is the only way I can imagine you would go out."

"Sad thing is," Iga remarked honestly as he moved on to his second plate, "You're probably right."

"Anyway," Iga said to change the subject, "What have we got planned for today?"

"Well, Master," Trunks said humorously, "I was thinking we could keep working on your magic amplifier. We'll need it if we're ever going to be able to get in contact with Earth once again."

"I am curious to see what's going on over there." Iga agreed, "But I was thinking we should work on your training first."

"I'm still amazed Trunks is able to use magic," Lisanna added with a smirk, "Even if he's still pretty bad with it."

"Hey," Trunks defended himself, "I'm learning."

"Pretty quickly, I might add." Iga complimented before thinking, "Though I'm still impressed with my handiwork on your lacrima, I think the Saiyan ability to adapt and get stronger is way more impressive than you describe it. Really, I think that might be why it worked."

"A hybrid in more ways than one." Lisanna joked, and the two smirked at her.

"Well," Iga declared as he finished his meal and sat up, "I think that's enough time for chit chat; come on, Trunks, let's see how you do against Acnologia."

"I know it's just a dummy version of him," Lisanna remarked, "But I still think I'd be nervous to see him."

"Heh, I can't blame you for that." Iga replied with a chuckle, "Not only is he very powerful, but he's quite the imposing figure when he's in his original form."

"Original form? Is he human?" Lisanna questioned with some surprise. Iga led the two out the room before he answered her question.

"Not anymore." Iga answered sadly as he walked across the hallway, "He's more slayer than he is dragon or man."

"You think I'm ready to take him?" Trunks asked as Iga opened the door just ahead of them with a wave of his hand.

"I have faith in you." Iga replied non-committedly as he strode to the center of the white-washed room and tapped a few buttons on the control console. He waited for the door to close behind Lisanna before he pressed another button, and the three were suddenly standing on the peak of a jagged, light-brown colored mountain. Looking around, there were similar mountains as far as the human eye could see.

"Where is this?" Trunks questioned with interest.

"A mountain range in south Bosco." Iga answered before warning, "But I'd stop asking questions if I were you, the system's already running."

"Right." Trunks said just before the wind started making strange howling noises in the distance.

The ground suddenly began to shake, the wind became erratic; and a deafening roar ripped through the air from the east. Looking to the rising sun, the three saw it was mostly blocked from view by the massive dragon that was flying towards them.

"I hate that noise." Lisanna remarked with a shiver.

"Trunks, that guy's bothering your girlfriend." Iga joked as he watched the dragon approach, "Why don't you go tell him to keep quiet?"

"No problem." Trunks replied with a grin before transforming effortlessly. Wasting no time, the Super Saiyan 3 Trunks launched into the air, racing for his opponent. He met the dragon halfway, greeting the dummy Acnologia with a punch to the top of his snout. The dragon roared as his jaw was forced downward, catching the side of a mountain and forcing him to tumble through and over the mountain. Trunks easily avoided getting crushed by the dragon's back as it flipped in the air before it landed on its back.

"Pretty slow for the King of Dragons." Trunks mocked as Acnologia rolled over and stood up. The dragon replied by staring straight at his opponent before giving him a deafening roar, firing a bright blue beam from his mouth as he did.

Trunks focused his ki as he shoved his arms in front of himself, reinforcing his guard just as Acnologia's roar reached him. His guard held, but he was still being pushed into the sky by the sheer force of the attack.

"Let's try something." Trunks mumbled to himself before shoving as hard as he could against the attack, launching further into the air ahead of it.

"Dragon God's Flame…" He chanted, raising his hands in towards the dragon's attack the same way he remembered his father would, "Galick Gun!'

The ki attack was the same signature attack his father patented, but the only difference was that the beam was accompanied by two large orange and red beams that spiraled around it as it raced towards Acnologia's attack. The result was a massive red, blue, and orange explosion that shone brighter than the sun. Lisanna gasped as the wind was knocked from her lungs, and she barely remained standing as she recovered her breath. Iga, on the other hand, was grinning with amusement as he enjoyed the multicolored spectacle before him.

"I guess the lacrima's still working." Lisanna pointed out obviously.

"He's getting pretty good at balancing his ki with his magic." Iga added, "Just don't tell him I said so."

Acnologia rushed through the dissipating explosion, and Trunks saw it emerge from the smoke before swiping a claw at him. He flew out the dragon's reach before shouting, "Dragon God's Talon!"

Trunks delivered a diving kick that was cloaked in a bright white light, landing it just underneath the dragon's arm. Acnologia recoiled at the impact, but Trunks was not finished.

Making a series of rapid arm movements, he shot his arms forward and aimed his palms towards his enemy before calling out, "Dragon God's Burning Attack!"

A bright yellow and orange explosion resulted; and Acnologia was slammed into the mountainside, leveling several mountains as he crashed to earth.

"Huh." Trunks remarked as he wiped the sweat of his forehead, "I'm actually breaking a sweat."

Looking down to where his opponent had landed, he was surprised to see no sign of the dragon anywhere. Trunks suddenly remembered Iga had mentioned Acnologia's having more than one form, just as the Dragon Slayer appeared above him. Trunks smelled and heard him rushing from above at the last second, and the demi-Saiyan spun to face him. The dummy Dragon King's right fist was coated in blue flame, and he was steering it for Trunks' face.

"Enough! Dragon God's Fist!" Trunks yelled at his opponent before meeting Acnologia's fist with his right fist, which was wreathed in a bright red light. Another multicolored explosion resulted, and Iga could not be happier with the quality of his entertainment. Lisanna watched in awe as the Dragon King fell out the cloud of smoke and crashed into another mountain. Rocks and boulders from above were shaken loose by the impact, and a few buried the simulated Acnologia in the bottom of his crater.

"Did you see that?" Trunks asked her smugly as he floated towards his two spectators.

"That was awesome, Trunks!" She replied happily, and Iga rolled his eyes at the two.

"Your skills are impressive," Iga allowed the demi-Saiyan, "But I don't think it's good enough."

"Really?" Trunks questioned, his hairless eyebrows were furrowed in curiosity as he spoke.

"Yeah." Iga said seriously, "Cause it hasn't finished the job yet."

Trunks was confused until he saw Lisanna shout and point at the moving pile of rubble Acnologia was under. Suddenly, the rock exploded outward as the Dragon King returned to his dragon form.

"Now I know why Fairy Tail's so scared of him; the guy's pretty strong." Trunks remarked as he took off his Capsule Corp. jacket after pulling a capsule out one of its pockets. Lisanna took his jacket from him as he clicked the capsule and threw it into the air. The Brave Sword appeared from the capsule's smoke falling perfectly in Trunks' waiting right hand.

"Alright big guy," Trunks said as he prepared to end the fight, "It's been fun."

At Lord Beerus' home…

Goku and Vegeta, both in their Super Saiyan Blue form, attempted to land any kind of hit on Whis. The blue skinned man seemed to have no trouble evading them, despite being attacked from by Goku from the front and Vegeta from behind. The two were still struggling for at least half a minute before Goku suddenly shouted.

"Hey, Vegeta!" He called to his friend, "Sorry about this!"

"What are you talking about Kaka-"

"Solar Flare!"

The orange garbed Saiyan used the skill as fast as he could, but he was not fast enough to blind Whis before he could shield his eyes from the flash. Not knowing he had failed; however, Goku continued with his plan.

"Now, Gohan!" He shouted hurriedly over Vegeta's loud swearing.

Whis looked off to his right, and he saw the Super Saiyan Blue Gohan speeding for him. Gohan was surprised to see he was making eye contact with his teacher, but he elected to continue his attempt anyway. Whis easily dodged the punch and the left kick that followed from Gohan before Goku dove back into the flurry. Vegeta was unable to recover his sight before Whis had grown bored of the current exercise. Lazily ducking another punch that was aimed for his head, Whis spun his staff around, catching Goku in the ribs and slamming the man into his son before wheeling the staff around and striking Vegeta across the forehead. All three of his pupils fell to the ground before he slowly followed them down, landing without even making a sound.

"I will admit, you are getting better." Whis evaluated them, "But I still don't think you've grasped the full concept of teamwork yet. I would have thought you'd be more careful after your reunion with Frieza, Goku."

"Clearly he hasn't." Vegeta grumbled as he got up and rubbed his forehead, "I thought we agreed on not using that tactic this time, Kakarot."

"Sorry, Vegeta," Goku apologized as he also stood up, "But I really thought it had worked."

"Obviously it didn't." Gohan said pointedly, "We're just going to have to keep trying until we hit him."

"That's the spirit, Gohan." Whis remarked with a lack of emotion before adding, "But you'll have to use that enthusiasm on a different exercise."

"What about lunch, sir?" Goku questioned, "You said we could stop for lunch an hour ago three hours ago…"

"I suppose we are overdue for a meal." Whis considered before shaking his head, "No, I'll give you three one more try to hit me first."

The three pupils sighed in frustrated defeat before taking their fighting stances.

An hour later on Earthland…

Iga materialized in the center of the forest outside Magnolia. The area was still a crater, and the Son's gravesite just by the edge of it made the area. It was obvious that no one in Magnolia bothered to tend to the area in Fairy Tail's absence. He had no time to think about because he heard the faint noise he had trained his ears for nearly centuries to learn, the sound of a portal opening. His magic took over as he dove into some shrubs to hide, and he could feel the presence of his enemy's magical energy from somewhere nearby. Looking in the direction his magic sense told him to, he saw the portal on a tree just to his right.

_If Gohan's really dead, _Iga thought, _Then why are you watching this place?_

Iga weighed his options as watched for any activity around the portal. He was trying to decide between remaining where he was and continue watching the portal or sneaking out of here and completing part two of his plans for today. He was still in the middle of deliberating when the decision was made for him. Looking over his left shoulder, he saw a lone, hooded man all dressed in blue walking towards the Son grave.

"I'm sorry," He heard the man say, "I still haven't found any sign of him. I know he's still out there, though; I'm sure of it. I know I haven't been looking for him as much lately; but I'm sure you would understand, things have not been quiet since you left. I have someone keeping an eye on Wendy, and she's doing better by all reports."

Iga felt pity for Jellal as he watched him. He began to feel that he was being rude by eavesdropping, and then he quickly decided someone else was being rude as well. Drawing a small white magic seal that was aimed at the tree the portal was hidden on. He quickly activated the spell, and a white wave of magical energy sliced through the base of the tree. Jellal heard the moment the tree began to collapse, and he turned quickly to see what was on the side of it. Instantly recognizing the portal, Jellal began to sprint for the now receding portal when he was suddenly hit on the forehead by a rock. Before he could do anything other than yelp in surprise at being hit, Jellal saw a shirtless man with bright red hair and white pants materialized in front of him.

"Sorry about the cut." The man quickly apologized, and Jellal ran his right index and middle finger over his left eyebrow and saw he was bleeding, "I'll explain everything in a second."

Before Jellal could form a reply, Iga grabbed Jellal by his right forearm; and the two suddenly vanished.

At Iga's home…

Trunks broke off his kiss with Lisanna as fatigue finally began to take over. He rolled off her to her left side with a pleased sigh before resting the back of his head on his arms with a grin. Lisanna was not done with him; however, and she caught him by surprise when she jumped on top of him and straddled his hips. She smirked when she noticed he was in a trance as he stared at her body.

"Stop it." She joked with him, placing her hands on his abs as she leaned forward slightly.

"Stop what?" Trunks asked, worried he'd been staring at her too long yet too proud to admit he was.

"Making that cute face." She answered, grabbing him softly by the jaw with her right hand, "It looks so kissable…"

"Maybe that's what I'm going for." Trunks joked back, making his girlfriend giggle at him as he moved his right hand to hold the left side of her waist.

"Well, it's working." She remarked before bending down and kissing him again. They broke the lip-lock after a minute, and Trunks had something to ask her.

"So," Trunks questioned her smugly, "How does it feel to be dating the guy that beat Acnologia?"

"A fake Acnologia." She corrected him with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah?" Trunks replied proudly, "The one with both arms still on, right?"

"You've got a point." Lisanna conceded, "But Iga told me not to help inflate your ego."

"If that's true," Trunks replied with a clever grin, "Then maybe I shouldn't make lunch. We don't need you two telling me how good of a cook I am."

"Don't start saying you're better at cleaning the place too." She joked as she caught on, "You're not getting out of your share of the work."

"Eh, it was worth a shot." Trunks concluded with a shrug. Lisanna noticed her boyfriend's sharpened top right canine when he grinned.

"Iga was right about the changes." She noted aloud, "Your eyes have changed too."

"Really?" Trunks questioned, "What do they look like?"

"Like a dragon's." She answered, "But I'm glad Iga was wrong about your eyes changing color. I love those bright blue eyes of yours."

"Don't jinx it." Trunks reminded her, "He seemed pretty sure my eyes would turn yellow like his; and it is his magic, after all."

"Yeah." She agreed thoughtfully, running a finger over the scar on his left abdomen where Iga's lacrima was implanted, "I guess we won't really know until later."

Trunks was going to reply when the two heard his master through the bedside lacrima.

"Hey, you two," Iga called in, "When you're done in there, get a shower and come to the dining room. We've got a guest, and our chef is missing."

"Yes, sir." Trunks replied, slightly embarrassed, before watching the lacrima deactivate and looking to Lisanna, "You heard him."

A few minutes later, the two were clean and fully dressed before they left their room. Turning to their right as they entered the hall, they passed Iga's bedroom on the right before reaching the next right turn that led into the kitchen. Trunks and Lisanna could hear Iga talking as they walked in.

"You've been working pretty hard this past year, huh?" Iga was asking his guest with interest, sitting across from him at opposite ends of the dinner table, "There's seven of you now, right?"

"That is correct." The two heard Jellal reply as they saw him sitting at the far end of the table, "But- Trunks?"

"That's me." The demi-Saiyan greeted, "It's been a while."

"Only a year." Jellal remarked, "But you're-"

"All grown up?" Lisanna interrupted the man, "You can thank Edo for that."

Iga rolled his eyes at the mention of his enemy's current alias, though no one noticed.

"You've been here all this time?" Jellal asked Trunks.

"Well, he first spent twenty or so years in a time rift." Iga informed the independent wizard, "But I pulled him out, in what was a week to us, after he'd disappeared. It took some time to repair most of the rift's effect, but we decided that the job was best left partially finished."

"I see." Jellal replied, still trying to process the new information before adding, "Well, there's a lot of people that'll be more than relieved to know you're well, myself included. It's good to see you again. And you as well, Lisanna."

"Thank you, Jellal." Lisanna answered, speaking for herself and her boyfriend, "Are you staying here for lunch?"

"He is." Iga chimed in before adding thoughtfully, "And I think we'll go with chef's choice today."

"Alright." Trunks replied with a nod before moving towards the refrigerators while Lisanna moved to sit next to the ever-shirtless Iga.

"The invitation still stands, you know." the red head, "I've got all the makings of a guild hall here; and since no one knows where this place is, it would work perfectly for you."

"Your offer is very generous and makes a good bit of sense." Jellal replied, "But we're a little too busy at the moment."

"With the Avatar cult?" Iga questioned, and Jellal's eyes widened in surprise for an instant before he recovered his poker face.

"No one knows about that." The former Saint stated.

"Well," Iga remarked, "You can add us three to the list. And Edo too, more than likely."

"I think that's the first time you called him that." Lisanna pointed out. Trunks agreed, but he was too busy preparing food to say so.

"It's less syllables." Iga admitted, "And a little less confusing for others."

"I guess." Lisanna agreed, but she had the feeling he was avoiding using Edo's real name for other reasons.

"I knew he was still alive." Jellal remarked, slightly angered.

"But do you know the Son's are still alive as well?" Iga asked curiously.

"You're lying." Jellal replied, clearly not amused, "Gray said-"

"Gray's been lying, intentionally or not; he has." Iga said flatly, "I saw those four go home."

"If you saw what had really happened," Jellal questioned, still doubtful, "Then why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I told Trunks, and he told Lisanna; but that's about it." Iga replied, "We've stayed quiet because I was not entirely sure if Edo was deceiving me or not. But seeing his shadow at the gravesite today confirmed my beliefs."

"We haven't officially told anyone yet." Iga added, "But we will once we've finished building the amplifier. My magic will be able to help us monitor and contact Earth after that."

"And how long will this amplifier take?" Jellal asked.

"Not a clue." Iga explained, "Trunks and I are tackling several projects at the moment, all of them are just as important as the next. We've been working for a year, and only one's been completed so far."

"And what would that be?" Jellal wondered. Iga pointed to Trunks, and Jellal turned his head to the right to see the demi-Saiyan cooking.

"What am I looking for?" He asked, not seeing anything standing out.

"Use your other senses." Iga advised, smirking when he saw the surprise on Jellal's face.

"Trunks?" Jellal questioned after using his magic sense, "You have magic?"

"Yup." The demi-Saiyan answered nonchalantly as he continued to work.

"Trunks now has access to the same magic as the Dragon God of Light." Iga said proudly, "My magic."

"A Dragon God?" Jellal repeated slowly.

"That's right." Iga remarked, "I wasn't always one; but I barely remember those days, now."

"But you've figured out how to share your powers?" Jellal questioned, connecting the dots, "Like Edo?"

"You are pretty quick on the draw." Iga complimented the former Saint before Trunks interrupted the conversation.

"Food's done." He announced over his shoulder.

"Well, it's about time." Iga joked as Lisanna got up to help her boyfriend serve the two, "I've been starving to death over here."

On Earth…

Son Goten looked over his back to his family's radish field, glad the hot summer weather meant that most of the farm work was done. He had not done much of the work himself, not being able to drive the tractor certainly hindered him; but his mother had instructed he was to assist Yamcha, who had been pressed into radish-service as atonement for his little excursion into Earthland. His days were mostly the same routine up until now. After breakfast was the farm work before lunch, then he would go off and train by himself until dinner, and then after dinner he'd do the small-amounted yet difficult homework his mother would assign him before getting a shower and going to sleep.

It may sound monotonous, but that routine was what kept Goten functioning most of the time. It was at times such as now, when he had nothing better to do, that his mind would wander back to Earthland. He had no doubt he would be going back, it was just a matter of gathering the Dragon Balls and asking Shenron for a new door; but he soon realized that task was not as easy as it sounded. The day Frieza's men used the Dragon Balls to revive their leader was one of the worst days he had in his entire life; and Chi Chi had forbidden him from fighting to protect Earth when they were alerted of the imminent threat, fearing that his anger would make him reckless or make him do something he'd regret. His mother had made the smart choice, but Goten could not help but feel useless sitting on the sidelines.

Ultimately, that's how Goten truly felt at most times, though he would ever say it aloud. He was unable to help protect Earth, unable to protect Earthland, and unable to keep his promises to Wendy. He was not old enough to get an actual job, and he could not even do his father's work without help. As if those ever-invading thoughts were not enough, his subconscious mind seemed to be working against him as well. There were nights that he'd wake up sweating buckets after having a nightmare about Edo or some other menace destroying Fairy Tail and killing everyone that he cared about. Oddly enough; however, sometimes it was the happier dreams that hurt him the worst because those reminded him of the way things could have been. Images of all the dreams and nightmares were visible when he closed his eyes, haunting him every time his mind wandered. And to top it all off, Gohan, the only person who seemed to always know what was bothering him and how to fix it was world's away, training.

Fortunately for Goten, someone else was more than willing to fill Gohan's shoes in that regard. As Goten sat on the edge of the cliff, looking at the horizon as he thought, he was pulled out his trance by Videl, who sat next to him.

"If I guessed what you were thinking about right now," She questioned as a form of greeting, "Would I be right?"

"Probably." Goten replied with a sigh before trying to change the subject, "Where's Pan?"

"At your house for the moment." Videl answered before getting back to the original topic, "Want to tell me what's up?"

"There's not much to talk about." Goten remarked, "We're here, Wendy's there. And we can't get there until another year now."

"Oh, I'm sure there's something we could talk about." Videl quipped, "You could tell me about your nightmares, for one."

"Mom told you?" Goten questioned.

"Nope." Videl answered, "I just know what you're going through."

"Really?" Goten asked, doubtful but curious.

"Really." Videl affirmed, "You have no clue how stressful it can be being married someone in your family. Every day I'm worried something's going to happen to Gohan."

"But he's training with Dad and Trunks' dad," Goten replied, "How could anything happen to him?"

"Anything could happen, at any time." Videl reminded him, "That's why you've been taught that a great warrior is ready for anything. Accidents happen, new enemies appear, Lord Beerus gets slightly irritated, literally anything could happen over there; and I wouldn't know it until it was too late."

"I never thought of it like that." Goten said thoughtfully, slightly worried for his brother now as well. Videl must have noticed it in his tone, because she continued to talk.

"I'm not saying all this so you'll worry about it too, you know." She added, "I'm just saying, I know how it feels."

"It sucks." Goten commented.

"I totally agree." Videl replied, "But sometimes, that's just how things are."

"What do you think's going on over there?" Goten asked after a moment of quiet. Videl smiled to herself, this was the first time she had heard Goten talk about Earthland in a year; but more importantly, he was opening up to her. She had always thought she was terrible with pep talks.

"Hm, if I had to guess," She said as she thought, "I'd guess that they're doing jobs or taking down some bad guys as usual. Natsu's probably breaking something while Lucy yells at him,"

Goten smirked, remembering the image of Natsu covered in scratches from the goblins.

"Mirajane's by the bar, keeping spirits high as always," She continued listing, "And Happy's eating fish or telling people how bad he wants another fish."

Goten chuckled at the image of the blue Exceed.

"And Wendy," Videl added, slightly nervous she was bringing the girl up again, "She's with Charle, training or doing a job; and they're probably talking to each other like we are, wondering what we're doing over here."

"We were supposed to spar after I got back." Goten told her, "But sometimes I'm worried I won't ever get back."

"Sure you will." Videl assured him, "You and Gohan both promised you were coming back, right?"

Goten nodded.

"And have you or your brother ever not done everything you could to keep your promises?"

Goten shook his head.

"Exactly." Videl said rather forcefully, "So I don't ever want you to think you're not going back, okay?"

Goten nodded.

"Think about it like this," She added, "The longer you're over here, the more time Wendy has to get stronger; and that means your spar will be way more fun than it would have been a few months ago."

"I guess." Goten could not argue with her logic.

"And hey," She concluded, "Don't forget we left Trunks over there. I'm sure he's trying to find a way home; and you know how smart he is. He'll find something, maybe even before we get the Dragon Balls."

At Iga's home...

Trunks slammed his head onto his desk in frustration.

"How did Mom ever do stuff like this?" He fumed with his forehead on the stack of drawings he had made over the past year, "I know it's not he same science, but how hard can this get?"

"Everything okay, Trunks?" Lisanna questioned as she entered their room to see him with his face on the desk.

"Not really." He replied honestly, lifting his head as she approached, "I can't figure out why Iga's remote isn't activating this thing."

Lisanna saw him gesture to the white lacrima that sat on his desk.

"He did warn you how hard it would be to make it work." Lisanna reminded him, softly grabbing her boyfriend's shoulders to relax him, "I mean, Edo's had how many years to design stuff like this? You've only been working on this stuff for a year."

"You're right," Trunks replied, "But I don't think Edo's going to give us the same amount of time to figure it out. And if we don't-"

"Stop." She interrupted him, squeezing his shoulders tighter, "You know I don't like it when you start beating yourself up."

"I know." Trunks agreed, "There's just so much riding on this… I wish Iga'd let me try to steal one of the original designs, I could replicate in a few hours if I had one."

"You'll figure it out." Lisanna declared, "If there's anyone on Earthland that could, it's you."

"Thanks, babe." Trunks replied, turning his head to see her smile before she gave him a peck on the lips.

"Just promise me you won't be tearing your hair out because of this stuff." She requested with some humor, "Because I'll kill you if you ruin that adorable hair of yours."

"I won't." He promised with a smirk.

"Good." She replied, "When you're done, Iga's looking for you."

"What's he need?" He questioned.

"A sparring partner." She answered.

"Ah." Trunks remarked, standing up, "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep him waiting. Are you making dinner tonight?"

"Yup." She affirmed with a nod, "Dinner will probably be ready by the time you're done."

"Awesome." Trunks replied before giving his girlfriend another quick kiss, "And that's for the pep talk."

"Anytime. I'll see you in a bit." She said before he left the room.

In The Shadow of the World…

Edo was lying on his bed, staring at the far end of the room where a portal was showing him an image of the Son gravesite. The portal was not showing the present, however. At the moment, Edo was replaying the event from a couple hours ago, trying to figure out what had happened to his shadow while he was spying on Jellal. He had been replaying the memory over and over for the past hour, using his magic to project the image so he could examine it closer. So far he had found nothing.

"Maybe one of his friends was watching his back." Cel Rhea, who was lying next to him, suggested before adding, "I don't really know why it matters anyway."

"Only one person has ever been able to stop me from watching something." Edo remarked sourly, "So, this matters very much to me."

"What's the matter?" Cel teased him, "Is your pride hurt?"

"A little." He answered honestly.

"Wow." Cel remarked, genuinely surprised, "I didn't think that was possible."

"I had nearly forgotten it was as well." Edo chipped in.

"Where's Zancrow?" He suddenly questioned.

"I'm here, Master." He heard come through the right wall of his room, "Orga and I are training still. Do you need something from us?"

"There is actually." He ordered without bothering to look at Zancrow's portal, "Go investigate the Son grave, something happened to a certain tree that needs explanation."

"As you wish." Zancrow replied, though he did not know why his master was interested in a tree, "Orga and I will go there now."

"Good." Edo said, "Return to me when you've found something."

He heard the portal close before Cel questioned him.

"You're not going to check it out yourself?" She wondered.

"Eh, it may be nothing." Edo replied, "Nothing seriously concerning at least."

"But you're still worried about it?" She asked pointedly.

"We'll see." He answered, "There may be a chance that an old player has finally returned to the game; and if that's the case, we should all be worried."


	27. Chapter 25

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ELEMENTS OF SPOILER FROM DRAGON BALL SUPER AND FAIRY TAIL'S ALVAREZ ARC, READ ON IF YOU WISH; BUT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Chapter 25: Memory

A few weeks later…

Trunks sat by himself in what Iga called the "Viewing Room", staring nervously at his surroundings.

"You see this?" Iga had informed him a year ago when he first saw this room, pointing to a massive white lacrima in the center of the room, "This thing right here, is the most important piece of equipment I have. And if anything were to ever happen to me, this can never fall into the wrong hands."

It was only a week after that conversation when Iga finally showed him why the magical device was so important.

"Like our enemy," Iga had told him, "I can see pretty much anywhere on Earthland, except I use light."

"So you can watch people through portals too?" Trunks had questioned.

"I can, but this big guy does a lot more." Iga explained, "Not only does it prevent our enemy from locating and spying on us, but it also does this."

Iga had waved his hand, and the two were suddenly standing in the remnants of a battlefield.

"Is this Magnolia?" Trunks asked, "What happened?"

"While you were recovering from your 'operation', the demons of the book of Zeref attacked." Iga informed him, "Don't worry, Fairy Tail stopped them. But the guild's been disbanded."

"What?!" Trunks had nearly shouted, "Why?"

"Fairy Heart." Iga replied, "The root of all good and evil at the same time."

"What does that mean?" Trunks had questioned, "What's Fairy Heart?"

"You'll figure it out when you learn how to use your new powers." Iga had answered. Trunks touched the bandaging on his left abs.

"Anyway," Iga began again, "The lacrima in the center of this room focuses my magic, taking the light from an entire area and projecting it in this room. Anywhere light reaches on Earthland, we can be there to watch as if we were actually there without some portal giving us away."

"Just don't forget that you're actually here." Iga quickly added, "You can walk around the area you're monitoring a little, but you should remember that you're in an enclosed space. Nothing ruins a viewing experience like running full speed into a wall you forgot was in front of you."

"It sounds like you learned from experience." Trunks remarked.

"How'd you guess?" Iga joked before recounting, "I've walked into the walls five times in my entire life; but I did run into them once. I managed to knock myself out for two hours until-"

"Until what?" Trunks asked, wondering why his soon-to-be teacher had stopped talking.

"It's nothing." Iga replied, a little too quickly, "Just remember not to knock yourself out."

Now a year later, Trunks had almost full mastery over the device; and Iga allowed him to use the machine anyway he desired. So now, Trunks was using the machine to keep an eye on Lisanna, who had left Iga's Sanctuary to help reunite Fairy Tail. Trunks was more than ready to go with her; but his place was here, helping Iga to find a way to bring down Edo once and for all. It has only been a couple days since Lisanna left, but things on Earthland were getting a little intense.

At the moment, Lisanna and the rest of Fairy Tail's B-Team have taken Blue Pegasus' magic bomber Christina and are flying for the Alvarez Empire to save Makarov and the Fairies' A-Team.

He was trying to listen to the conversation by the helm when the room suddenly returned to its normal dome shape and its plain white walls.

"You there?" Iga questioned, glad he finally had his pupil's attention.

"Yeah, sorry." Trunks quickly replied.

"It's fine, really." Iga assured him, "If there's anyone that should be apologizing, it's me; for keeping you away from her."

"That's Edo's fault, not yours." Trunks remarked, "You were right when you said that anything else is a waste of time if we can't beat him. Besides, Lisanna's a Fairy Tail wizard, she can take care of herself."

"I'd be lying if I said she was in no danger, though." Iga commented, "Challenging Zeref tends to put you there."

"Zeref?!" Trunks questioned.

"They're flying straight for his empire." Iga informed him.

"Do you know what's going to happen?" Trunks asked, knowing Iga had some form of foresight.

"You know it doesn't work like that." Iga answered, dodging the question before adding, "But I don't need to see any possible future to know that things on Earthland are about to change. Spriggan is not going to react kindly to Ishgar guild wizards sneaking into his home."

"We need to finish the amplifier." Trunks declared.

"I agree." Iga remarked, "If there's anything this planet's going to need, it's some more divine intervention."

In the Shadow of the World…

Edo was keeping his eye on current events as well, impatiently awaiting the time to make his move. He was currently floating in the center of his room with his legs crossed, watching his portal as it changed images every few minutes.

"What are we waiting for, Master?" Orga questioned, announcing his presence, "Zeref's almost finished organizing his army. If we kill him now, we'll destabilize his entire empire."

"It is true that the poor fools of Alvarez won't know what to do without their immortal emperor." Edo replied, "But we will wait. Do you actually think I'd want to stop the greatest fight this planet has seen in ages? That would be boring."

"True." Orga agreed, thoughtfully, "So then we're just going to eliminate the winner?"

"Maybe." Edo replied honestly, "But that all depends on Gohan's next move."

On Earth…

Gohan and Whis arrived at Mt. Paozu around midday, and they were immediately met by Goten.

"Gohan!" he shouted when he saw they two arrive, sprinting over and hugging his brother.

"Hey, Squirt!" He replied happily as he returned the hug, releasing his brother before asking, "How's things been around here?"

"The same, pretty much." Goten replied, "Mom and Videl are making lunch right now."

"I guess that's my cue to leave you, then." Whis remarked to Gohan, "Remember what we talked about, now."

"I will." Gohan promised, "Thanks for everything, sir."

With that, Whis left, leaving Goten confused in the process.

"What did you guys talk about?" the younger demi-Saiyan questioned.

"We'll talk about it later." Gohan replied, "But right now, I'm starving."

"Come on!" Goten said excitedly, grabbing his brother by the forearm and towing him.

"Mom! Videl! Pan!" Goten cheered as he burst through the front door with his brother, "Gohan's home!"

"Papa!" Gohan heard immediately, and he looked to his right to see his daughter before she flew straight into his chest for a hug.

"Hey, Pan." Gohan replied as he returned the hug before lifting her to look her over, "I missed you so much."

"Me too!" Pan stated before adding, "Watch this, Papa!"

Gohan watched as Pan levitated out of his grip.

"See?" She asked excitedly, "I can fly like you now!"

"I see that." Gohan agreed proudly, "Did your mother teach you how?"

"Uh huh. Uh huh." She quickly answered, "And Uncle Ten too."

"You're not the only one that's been training." Videl chimed in, and Gohan turned his head to see his wife and mother standing next to each other.

"I see that." He replied with a grin as he rubbed his daughter's head affectionately.

"I'm guessing your father stayed to keep training." His mother remarked before greeting him, "Sit down, we've just finished making dinner."

"Yes, ma'am." Gohan replied, taking a seat next to Videl by the dinner table.

"Hey, Gohan!" Goten asked as he sat by the table as well, hurrying to sit near Gohan, "What's training with Mr. Whis like? And Dad and Vegeta?"

"I kind of want to know that too." Videl add as Chi Chi handed her a plate.

"It's kinda weird to say," Gohan answered them, taking his plate from his mother, "But it's really a normal routine, but everything's much harder to do. You should see these suits we had to wear; they were so heavy, they made using Vegeta's Gravity Room feel like a waste of time. And we had to do all this stuff without using our God forms."

"Whoa." Goten stated, clearly impressed, "So you're like, really, super, crazy strong now?"

"I guess." Gohan replied, though he would never use that many adjectives to describe himself.

"Do you get to fight Dad? Vegeta? Mr. Whis? How strong are they?" Goten fired off more questions, "Did you ever see them fight each other?"

"Goten, do you plan on questioning your brother about every little detail of his training?" Their mother interrupted as she sat at the table with her and Goten's plate, "He just got home; let him eat in peace, at least."

"Yes, Mom." Goten replied, "Sorry, Gohan."

"You're okay, squirt." Gohan assured him, "I'll tell you everything I can remember after we eat."

Goten nodded happily before diving into his dinner, in a hurry to end the meal. Videl and Chi Chi shook their heads at the boy before looking back to Gohan.

"Do you think you're strong enough to fight that lunatic you told me about?" His mother questioned him, "If not, I don't want to hear any talk about going back to that place if you aren't ready."

"If he's anything like his lackeys, it'll be no problem." Gohan answered between bites before adding, "As long as they don't gang up on me."

"You'll have help this time." Videl reminded him, "Besides, there's still a little bit more time to get ready. I don't think the Dragon Balls are going to be usable until a week or so. Maybe you can teach us any new tricks you've picked up."

"Us?" Gohan questioned as he stopped eating for a moment.

"That's right, Goten and me." Videl explained, "We're going back with you to help beat Edo, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Gohan said with a hint of guilt in his voice, one that Videl noticed, "That's right."

"If we even get to use the Dragon Balls." Goten finally chipped in, though not out of negativity, as he finished his first plate.

"Don't worry, Goten." Gohan reassured his brother, "We will be going back, I promised that."

A week and a half later, on Earthland…

Iga woke up feeling slightly less happy than usual, thinking about his dream as he got out of bed and stretched with a yawn. It was a rare occurrence that last night's dream stood out and affected him so; since his entire life experience was so vast that nearly anything could appear in his subconscious mind, he tend to not pay much attention to his dreams. But this dream was different. It was more like a nightmare, and Iga knew exactly why; though he simply did not wish to remember such memories.

Scratching his hair and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Iga exited his room before strolling into his bathroom. As he took of his pants and underwear he glanced at the mirror before suddenly fixating on it. He lifted his chin and ran his right index and middle finger down the scar on his neck, thinking of his dream as he did. He made eye contact with himself before making a dismissive sigh and jumping into the shower.

At the other end of the hall, Trunks was already awake and in the Viewing Room, keeping constant watch on the current battle between Alvarez and Fairy Tail. So far, only Fairy Tail has begun the fight against the first assault from Zeref's forces. The bordering nations around Fiore have all fallen to the might of the Alvarez Empire; but Trunks knew the guilds of Fiore were special, and he was sure that if anyone could cancel the Black Wizard's plans, they would be the ones to do it. He was so focused on watching and listening to his former guildmates as they talked strategy that he did not notice his master entering the Viewing Room; nor did he know that minutes had passed by without his notice.

"I hope you're not getting too distracted." Iga remarked as he announced himself.

"I'm not," Trunks replied honestly, "I'm just nervous, I guess."

"You're worried about her, I understand." Iga reminded him, "I told you that the other day, didn't I? I know how it feels."

"Yes, Master." Trunks affirmed before suddenly thinking aloud, "Wait, I thought you didn't do dating and stuff like that."

"I don't." Iga agreed, "But that doesn't mean I never did."

"Really?" Trunks asked before getting curious, "You didn't give up dating just because you've got no game, did you?"

"Me? Please," Iga joked, "Who doesn't want to get to know a guy like me? And chicks dig scars."

"Is that why you're always shirtless?" Trunks poked fun at his Master's old habit once again.

"Precisely." Iga chuckled back before being honest, "No, something else happened. I had nearly forgotten the memory, but I guess seeing you worry about Lisanna's bringing back a bunch of old memories."

"What happened?" Trunks questioned, "Was she that bad that you never decided to date again?"

"No." Iga replied thoughtfully, "She was perfect."

"Then why did you break up?" Trunks wondered.

"We never did." Iga informed him, "She died."

"Oh." Trunks said, sorry that he had brought up a sad topic.

"It's fine, Trunks." Iga assured his pupil, "Being immortal comes with that price. Everyone I know is probably going to die before me. I've gotten used to that."

Trunks got the feeling his Master was holding some information back, but he was not going to pry.

Somewhere in northern Fiore…

Edo strode through his shadow casually, entering and negotiating the darkness of the cave he arrived in easily before finding the person he had come to see sitting on a large flat rock.

"Go away." He was instantly greeted, "I'm in no mood for your antics."

"Aw," Edo teased with grin, "You don't have time for a chat with your closest relative?"

"Oh," Edo joked before Acnologia could respond, "Too worried about the big fight?"

"No." The Dragon King of Earthland answered, "I simply don't have a headache, and I wish to keep it that way."

"I can find some cheerleaders for you, you might really like it." Edo suggested, "They can boost your morale during the fight, you see; and when you win, you can eat them as a snack while you're celebrating. Or committing genocide; I hear those two activities are pretty much interchangeable for you."

"Why are you here?" Acnologia demanded.

"Did Igneel take your ears with your arm?" Edo quipped, "I said why already; I came to chat."

"Leave." Acnologia restated, clearly not amused.

"I wonder if I'll feel anything when you die." Edo remarked randomly, "Not emotionally, I mean; I couldn't give a damn what happens to you. But I've heard stories of twins and other close relations sharing some kind of bond."

"We are not related." Acnologia reminded the wizard, "The only similarity we have is a name."

"It's not the only one," Edo corrected him, "I used to look like you as well, until certain events changed that."

""I'm getting a headache." Acnologia warned his guest.

"Don't worry," Edo joked, "I'll talk quietly."

He saw the Dragon King clench his fist in irritation and grinned at the gesture.

"So, when you die…" He asked Acnologia as he thought, "And if the Dragon Slayers don't obliterate you, would it be okay if I take some of your scales home with me? I'm sure it'd made some fine armor or weapons; I could make a lot of money selling it even if I never used it, too. Unless you're planning on dying in human form…"

"Hey, do me a favor." Edo suddenly requested, "Can you die in your dragon form for me if you lose?"

"You're testing my patience." Acnologia replied, "Again."

"And I must still be getting passing grades, because you haven't made me knock you out yet." Edo replied before smarmily adding, "Again."

Acnologia made a huff of impatience.

"My advice," Edo continued to jest, "Just draw the fight out until Mavis thinks she'll need to use her weapon. That way you'll at least go out with some fireworks."

"Silence!" Acnologia ordered, standing up and moving closer to Edo, "Leave me to my thoughts, this is your final warning."

"Whatever you say, dead man; give Fairy Tail my love, won't you?" Edo replied, finally growing bored of irritating his old friend, "And uh, don't come back and haunt me after the other Dragon Slayers are done with you."

With that, Edo stepped back through his portal with a smirk.

On Earth…

It was still night when Son Gohan woke up, glancing towards a window as he thought about his nightmare. His mouth was dry, but he was hesitant to move because his wife was curled up with him; and she almost always woke up if he started moving around. After a few minutes, his thirst won over; and he did his best to avoid waking Videl as he inched his way off the bed. As soon as he was standing, he turned back to make sure his wife was still asleep. She appeared to be resting, so Gohan quickly snuck out the room before heading downstairs for the kitchen. After grabbing a glass of water, he looked around the room before heading back to bed with his drink. Before he reached his bedroom, he stopped by his daughter's room to check on her. Seeing that Pan was resting peacefully, he smiled at her before going back to his room.

"Gohan?" He was greeted when he entered the room, and he saw his wife sitting on her side of the bed, "What time is it?"

"Close to three, I think." Gohan answered apologetically, "I didn't mean to wake you up, I'm sorry."

"You didn't." Videl assured him, "It was just a bad dream."

"You too, huh?" Gohan remarked as he approached his side of the bed before asking, "What was yours about?"

"Something stupid." His wife replied, "I'm not even going to worry about it. And what about you?"

"Oh," Gohan stated as he got on the bed, "It's nothing."

"How many times am I going to tell you you're a bad liar?" Videl joked before being serious, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried." Gohan explained.

"About what?" She questioned, "Edo? Fairy Tail?"

"All of it." Gohan elaborated, "And you and Pan."

"Why are you worried about us?" his wife asked, "Nothing's going to happen to us."

"That's if I beat Edo." Gohan replied, "I don't know what's going to happen if it's the other way around."

"You are going to beat him." Videl told him.

"I don't know if I'm strong enough." Her husband explained, "I have gotten much stronger since we were there, but I've never actually seen all of Edo's abilities yet. And I wouldn't put it past him to have some sort of scheme to win."

"That's why I'll be helping you." She reminded him, "Me, Goten, Jellal, Trunks, Fairy Tail; everyone will be there to fight with you."

"Not everyone." Gohan remarked, "You're staying here. Goten too. And when I get to Earthland, I'm bringing Trunks back home first."

"What are you talking about?" Videl questioned, suddenly confused.

"I'm not using the Dragon Balls to get there either." Gohan revealed, "Whis is bringing me at dawn today."

"What?" She replied, "Why?"

"Because Lord Beerus is going to need the Dragon Balls." Gohan explained, "Apparently, there's planet-sized Dragon Balls in another universe; and he wants to find the seventh."

"Planet-sized Dragon Balls?" Videl questioned.

"There's a small tournament that's going on to decide who gets the other six." He added, "Lord Beerus can't make any wishes with them, but he still wants the full set; and you know what he's like if he doesn't get his way."

"Anyway," Gohan continued, "I heard Lord Beerus' brother explain that all the universes are pairs of another, so I'm guessing there may be some Super Dragon Balls in our universe as well. It's not going to be long before Lord Beerus asks Shenron for their location."

"So he's going to use the Dragon Balls?" Videl remarked after processing all the new information, "Just so he can make a collection of massive Dragon Balls?

"More so he can beat his brother," Gohan added before agreeing, "But yeah, pretty much. And Whis says he'll only travel with me and Trunks."

"Why?" His wife asked.

"He never said." Gohan answered honestly. He did not like the look of worry of his love's face.

"And Goten?" Videl questioned, "You'll be forcing him to stay away from Wendy for another year. And you know Goten hasn't been the same since we left Earthland. He needs to go back there, at least once."

"I know." Gohan agreed, "But it's not my decision anymore."

Videl was silent as she tried to come up with some way to argue his logic, and Gohan was watching his wife as he tried to figure out what to say next.

"I don't like this whole scenario any more than you do." Gohan stated after a moment, "But it's like you said, I'm going to beat Edo; and we won't have to worry about him hurting anyone while we're gone a year. We'll all be back there before you know it."

"I guess." She agreed thoughtfully, "Goten would be happy to know Wendy's safe, at least."

"But," She added slowly, "Do you think you can convince Whis to take me with you?"

"I already tried." Gohan told her, leaning closer to her and touching her arm reassuringly, "But I'm going to beat him."

Videl was quiet as she thought, looking aside before grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"You're damn right you're going to win." She concluded. Gohan moved to see the front of her face and saw she was crying, and he began to guess the kind of bad dreams she was having.

"Why are you crying, Videl?" He asked worriedly, moving to a different spot on the bed to make eye contact with her.

"It's just that," She explained, "I know how dangerous Edo is, and he kinda know how he does things too; so I'm still worried he's going to play dirty if he gets desperate, even if I'm not there. At least if I was there, I could help you if no one else could. Actually, I'd be happier if Goten went with you. He'd be much more helpful than I could."

"Edo said all he wants is a fight." Gohan reminded his wife, "That's what I'm going to give him, and I'll defeat him before he can play any games."

"And you're going to have to kill him." Videl remarked.

"It's him or a whole planet." Gohan replied, "It's him or me; I understand that. And there's nothing stopping me from coming back to you and Pan."

Videl rubbed the water out of her eyes before responding, "You're right. And when you get back, my dad AND Bulma are going to throw a huge party for you and Trunks when you get back."

"I won't say no to that condition." Gohan answered quickly with a smile.

"Gohan," She slowly requested, "Can you come closer?"

"Sure." Gohan said as he moved to lay next to her, "You know you don't-"

She interrupted him with a kiss as soon as his face was near hers, pulling him closer to her by wrapping her arms around his neck. Gohan returned the kiss eagerly, removing his lips from hers after she ran out of air.

"I know I don't have to ask." Videl replied as she recovered her breath, "Why do you think I did that?"

Gohan chuckled and smirked at her joke, locking eyes with her as he did.

"I love you, Gohan."

"I love you more, Videl."

In the morning…

Son Gohan walked out his front door alone, glancing at the barely risen sun before looking ahead and seeing Whis awaiting him. He barely had any sleep, but that did not matter; he was wide awake. He was ready.

"I see you've decided to wear your father's training uniform to the fight." Whis remarked as Gohan neared him, "Interesting choice of clothing."

"You know I had no chance of defeating Edo without you, sir." Gohan defended, "And my dad's helped me so much too, I figured I should show it. I want Edo to know who helped me destroy him."

"It sounds like you're prepared to do what's needed." His teacher added, "We're at least an hour from until we're near Earthland."

"There better still be an Earthland we when get there." Gohan remarked before grabbing on to Whis' back.

Without another word, the two were on route to Earthland.

At their destination, on the Western Hills of Magnolia…

Natsu and Gajeel huffed and puffed as they stood over the defeated Ajeel Squad, looking over the product of their work.

"That took a bit longer than I thought it would." Happy remarked as he flew next to them.

"Couldn't help it, really." Natsu replied, crossing his arms, "We were holding back the entire time."

"I was using at least one-hundredth of my power." Gajeel chimed in.

"Oh yeah?" Natsu argued, thinking he was one-upping Gajeel, "Well then, I was using one-tenth of my power."

"When is the last time you've counted without using your hands?" Gajeel remarked sarcastically.

"There's another wave of them coming." They heard the humanoid Pantherlily announce.

"There's no end to them." Charle added, standing next to Lily in her fighting form as well.

"I don't think we've ever faced this big an enemy before." Wendy agreed.

"You are SO RIGHT!" An angry, desperate, and suddenly revived Bakel roars before slamming his left fist on the back of Natsu's head.

"Natsu!" Wendy shouted.

"You little shits never stood a chance against the Ajeel Squad, let alone the rest of the Empire! HAHAHA!"

Bakel was too busy boasting to notice that Natsu was still standing in front of him, bent over and biding his time.

"You don't say…" Natsu suddenly replied.

"Wha-?" Bakel was confused for a split second before Natsu drove his right elbow into his enemy's ribs.

Less than a second later, Natsu swung his left fist as fast as he could, aiming for Bakel's face. The speed of the punch was so much that the ground his fist almost struck mid-swing made a tiny trench. The punch land with a small explosion resulting before Bakel was sent sailing and screaming into the sky.

Everyone on the ground looked up at the sky to appreciate the sight in their own way.

Bakel shot through the bottom of Ajeel's ship, flying through the vessel and erupting from the deck with intense speed. Both Erza and her opponent's attentions were captured by the sudden interruption.

"Bakel?" Ajeel questioned, surprised.

"I hear you, Natsu." Erza suddenly thought aloud, readying her sword before charging at her foe, "Loud and clear!"

Elsewhere on Earthland…

Trunks watched the battle unfold nervously with his master, seeing Erza land a critical strike on Ajeel while he was distracted. His master was not so nervous; however, he monitored the battle coolly as he assessed the entire situation.

"And that's why you never lose focus on the battlefield." Iga remarked to his pupil.

"They're going to do this." Trunks cheered, more to himself. Iga looked to his student after having a thought.

"Trunks," He asked with interest, "The amplifier we've been working on, it should work with any basic magic right?'

"Yeah, why?" Trunks wondered. He watched as his master turned off the imaging before he began entering commands into his system.

"I feel something coming." Iga explained as he worked, "It's faint, but it's familiar. I need to find it before it gets here."

"Here," Iga suddenly decided, "You take this and see if you can find any strange energy anywhere that seems to be approaching; I'm going to go activate the amplifier."

"What are we going to do with it?" Trunks questioned as he manned his post.

"We're gonna make a two-way radio." Iga answered as he walked out the room, "We just need a little help."

On the edge of Fairy Tail's solar system…

Gohan and Whis were silent as they flew through the cosmos, each thinking very different things until something strange occurred.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" A voice asked.

"What the heck?" Gohan remarked, confused and intrigued.

"Is there anyone that can hear me?"

"My, my, this is strange." Whis agreed with Gohan.

"My name is Hibiki Lates," the voice continued, "I'm a wizard in the Blue Pegasus guild…"

"That's coming from Earthland!" Gohan pointed out, "It sounds like a broadcast of some kind. How is it playing off your staff?"

"I'm curious to know that myself." Whis informed the demi-Saiyan as he activated his staff, "Let's see if we can contact Mr. Lates."

"You should probably do the talking." Whis suggested, and Gohan nodded before speaking.

"Hibiki!" Gohan called out, "My name is Gohan, I'm a Fairy Tail wizard."

"You're in Fairy Tail?!" The two heard the voice say excitedly before it said to someone else, "I found 'em!"

"Gohan!" A familiar voice said next, "I'm glad you're here!"

"Is that you, Trunks?" Gohan questioned.

"You bet!" The younger demi-Saiyan replied, "My Master and I made a distress beacon with the help of Hibiki."

"Master?" Gohan repeated before hearing another voice take over the communication.

"Son Gohan? My name is Iga, it is a pleasure to meet you." Trunks' master introduced himself, "And you're here not a moment too soon."

"What's going on over there?" Gohan asked.

"Long story short, Zeref has a massive army assaulting the kingdom of Fiore; if he wins, everyone dies. The guilds are holding off the first wave at the moment, but it's a hard fight. Trunks and I have been working this whole time trying to get a hold of someone from Earth."

"I'm glad you did." Gohan replied, "Where's Fairy Tail fighting?"

"Magnolia mostly," Hibiki chimed in, "Though they are holding off Alvarez on multiple fronts."

"Okay." Gohan said calmly, "I'll be arriving there shortly."

"See ya soon, Gohan!" Trunks called out before the orb on Whis' staff stopped glowing.

On the other side of the communication…

Iga looked between Trunks and Hibiki as he thought.

"So what's next?" Hibiki questioned to break the silence.

"Sorry about this." Iga answered him before punching Hibiki in the forehead, instantly rendering the wizard unconscious.

"What the hell, Master?!" Trunks shouted in surprise.

"Sorry, but we don't have time." Iga explained, lifting Hibiki over his right shoulder, "I need to wipe his memory and bring him back to his post before anyone catches on to us. You're going to stay here and start preparing for a fight."

Trunks did not argue as he watched his Master open a bright white portal on the wall of his newly made communications room and walk straight through it.

A few minutes later…

"A water sword?!" Ajeel questioned as he held his wounds tightly.

"The Sea Empress Sword hardens your sand." Erza informed her opponent as he dodged her down slash.

"You weak little soldier!" Ajeel boasted as he raced up the mast of his command ship, "You dare wish to incur the wrath of me? The Mighty Ajeel?! HAH!"

As soon as he shouted, a cloud of sand was fired at Erza, who easily swiped it away with a new weapon.

"My Wind God Sword negates your attacks." Erza replied, "This is pointless, sand has too many weaknesses."

"And a sandstorm?" Her enemy questioned before they were suddenly engulfed in a haze of sand.

Erza was slightly hunched, shielding her face from the sand as she thought aloud, "This storm must be covering the entire ship…"

"Wrong!" Ajeel shouted to her, "I've covered all of Magnolia!"

Erza was silent as she listened to him boast and thought to herself.

"Welcome to my Sand World!" He yelled dramatically, "In here, I am GOD!"

"Sand Sword!" Ajeel attacked from above, and clumps of sand rained down before Ajeel's strike sent Erza tumbling backwards.

"I see the fear in your eyes." Ajeel declared from somewhere in the sand, "You know the kind of enemy you face. Tremble and fear, for you are you useless in here."

"Got you!" Erza shouted, swing her sword into the sand.

"You're going to have to do better than that, I'm afraid." Ajeel taunted before catching Erza by surprise and latching his right hand on her throat.

Erza only made noises as she struggled to breathe.

"I may forgive you," Ajeel offered, "If you beg forgiveness, and worship me like a god."

He tightened his grip on her neck before adding, "Do that, and I'll make your death quick."

_My strength… _Erza thought, _I can't…_

"My magic drains away the source of life itself, water." Ajeel said as he continued to hold Erza up, "It must be very painful."

"Do you really wish to die like this?" Ajeel questioned, "Dried up, like a husk?"

"Come on, say it…" He insisted, "Call me God."

"Ah!" Erza managed to shout as he tightened and loosened his grip.

"Even if you really were a god," Erza began, glad for air more than anything else, "My guildmates would never bow to someone like you. We've met gods before, and they're better people than you. My guild knows what to believe in. Morning Star Armor!"

"Ha!" Ajeel laughed as he produced an axe from his sand, not caring that Erza's armor was shining very brightly, "And what would that be? Tell me, before I take your head."

"That's easy, it's friends like me!" A new voice suddenly shouted. Erza was too weak to even attempt looking through the sand, but she did feel the moment Ajeel's hand released her throat. The only thing she would remember about the next instant was that she saw a flash of bright blue light before she began to fall.

"Now, Bisca!" She heard the voice yell the next moment, and she saw another large explosion that narrowly missed her. Erza had finally recovered to see the sand had scattered.

Quickly landing on a piece of the crumbling and falling ship, Erza sprung after her opponent, knowing she needed to finish him off now.

"Nakagami Starlight!" Erza yelled as she launched at Ajeel, striking him with a final, incapacitating blow.

After the sandstorm dissipated, the tide began to turn in Fairy Tail's favor. Lucy and Cana successfully captured Brandish, Natsu and the rest of Flying Dragon Squad eliminated the enemies approaching from the west, and Freed and Ichiya destroyed the mechanized Wahl before surviving its self-destruct function with the rest of the Thunder God Tribe. Spirits were slightly high for the moment as the guild recovered from the first attack. Little did they know, the attack was not entirely over.

On a ship sailing north from the southern waters off the coast of Hargeon with many others, a man was bent over on the deck laughing hysterically.

"Thing's have become more interesting than I calculated." The real Wahl laughed as he rested his face on the floor, "I guess using a puppet really makes a difference."

"Oh, so you're little doll's been broken?" Dimaria asked as she stood over him.

"Ah," He answered as he stood up, "I knew that was going to happen. What's real funny is that Ajeel's been taken out, and Brandish has been captured."

Dimaria laughed to herself.

"She's been taken as a prisoner of war, how humiliating." She remarked.

"I know right? That's why I've been laughing!" Wahl agreed before adding, "And these Fairy Tail wizards might actually put up a fight!"

"That's not surprising." Dimaria commented, "There had to be a reason Emperor Spriggan deployed the entire army to take them down."

"True." Wahl agreed before stating, "But do you want to know what's not funny? Letting this tiny guild make fools of us. Now that's not funny at all, Dimaria!"

"Don't worry, there's no need to rush." She assured him, "We'll be at the port shortly, and we'll take it over even faster. Then after that-"

She stopped when she saw Wahl moved to the bow of the ship before he slammed his wrists together in front of him, and a massive magical cannon materialized in front of him.

"Are you planning on destroying the port?" Dimaria questioned, "We're only about 30 km away."

"Nah…" Wahl replied as he continued to aim his weapon, "I'm aiming for Fairy Tail."

"But that's nearly 400 km away," Dimaria replied, "There's no way you'll hit it."

"Don't underestimate me now," Wahl said as he slowly spread his hands apart from each other, gathering more and more magical energy in between them, "I am the Great Wahl Icht, Master of Machina!"

"Super Long Distance Anti-Material MAGIC CANNON!"

A colossal blast erupted from the chamber of Wahl's weapon, soaring through the air at incredible speed.

Ichiya was climbing out the rubble from the Kardia Cathedral when he saw Wahl's attack streaking towards Magnolia. He knew he had to come up with something quick, the Thunder God Tribe were the only ones capable of shielding the city. His inspiration arrived in the form of a red-haired shirtless young man in white pants and black boots, who seemed to appear from nowhere. A man with bright blue hair and an orange martial arts uniform appeared next to him.

"Sorry, Mr. Ichiya," The first arrival apologized, "But we're gonna need your bomber, and your help."

The wizards at Fairy Tail began to panic as Warren read out the blasts location, continuing to countdown its approach while Mavis and others tried to quickly find a solution. It was only when the blast was over the skies of Magnolia and near its target that their salvation arrived.

The Fairy Tail wizards watched as the Magic Bomber Christina took the full force of the blast before splintering and beginning to fall out the sky.

"FAIRY TAIL!" They heard come from what was left of its sound systems, "This is a battle, but it is not just your battle!"

"Engage, Fiore Communications Network! Can you hear me, men?!"

Everywhere across the kingdom, the guilds and their masters all heard Ichiya's call.

"This is our battle as well!"

With that, the Christina crashed to earth; and the first battle for Magnolia had ended.

A few minutes later…

Trunks flew over the city as he surveyed the damage. Magnolia was in terrible shape, and there was nearly not a single build that had been damaged in some way. Landing near the ruins of the Kardia Cathedral, he ran a few yards before finding who he was looking for.

"Lisanna!" He called out as soon as he saw his girlfriend standing next to her sister in the middle of a ruined market street.

"Trunks!" Lisanna shouted back as soon as she saw him, and the two ran towards each other, meeting halfway and hugging.

"I was so worried about you…" Trunks told her as he squeezed her against him.

"I'm fine, Trunks." She replied happily, "You should have seen me take down those robots."

"I guess all that training did pay off." Trunks remarked as he released his girlfriend, "Where's the rest of Team B?"

"They're carrying the Thunder God tribe back to the guild." Mirajane answered for her sister before adding, "It's so nice to finally see you again, even if you have you hands all over my little sister."

Trunks gulped nervously before Mirajane giggled and he realized she was playing with him. He sighed anxiously before speaking.

"Remember how I asked you guys to keep it secret that I'm still around?" Trunks questioned, getting nods from both Strauss sisters, "Well, I gotta ask you to keep a few more; and one of them might shock you."

Before they could ask what sort of secrets he meant, two men appeared beside Trunks. Lisanna immediately recognized Iga by his hair and lack of a shirt, but it took her and her sister a moment to recognize the other man with the bright-blue hair.

"Wait…" Lisanna said as Mirajane went quiet with shock.

"Hey guys," Gohan greeted the two, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Gohan?" Mirajane asked quietly. Even from a few feet away from the oldest Strauss, the three young men could see she was crying.

"This isn't real…" She added breathlessly as she slowly approached.

"Is that really you?" Lisanna asked the Super Saiyan Blue Gohan, her eyes were also watering.

"Yup." Gohan replied with a friendly smile, "Like the new hair?"

"Gohan…" Mirajane mumbled while Lisanna looked at him incredulously.

"I knew they were still alive!" Trunks told his girlfriend eagerly, "My Master was right!"

"Gohan!" Mirajane cried, and she wrapped Gohan in an intense hug as soon as he was in arms reach.

"You are real…" She observed as he returned the hug, "You're alive… you're here…"

"Of course I am." Gohan stated reassuringly, "I promised I'd come back, didn't I?"

The reunion was short lived; however, as a maniacal cackle ripped through the air.

"Did we miss someone?!" Lisanna wondered aloud as she looked for the source of the laugh.

"No," Iga warned the group, "This is worse. He's here."

"You should go, Master." Trunks suggested, "You're still a secret weapon."

"Not anymore." Zancrow laughed as he appeared from behind a ruined building, "My Master has told me stories about you, Igneel."

"Igneel?" Lisanna, Mirajane, and Trunks all repeated, suddenly turning to Iga.

"Hehehehe…" Orga laughed menacingly, announcing his presence behind the group, "Looks like someone hasn't been entirely honest with his friends."

"You puppets should stop talking about things you don't understand." Iga warned them, "And bringing up memories of the past only brings out my anger. Stop, before I silence the both of you."

"I welcome the challenge." Zancrow said confidently with a dark chuckle, "But my Master, he awaits Gohan."

"Where is he?" Gohan demanded.

"Just look up." Zancrow replied, pointing into the sky. The group followed his gesture until they saw a man in dark blue robes floating above Magnolia, his clothes billowing in the wind.

"Son Gohan!" Edo's voice boomed across the sky, "The game nears its end!"

The next instant, darkness began to spread from Edo's body, blanketing the sky and blocking sunlight from reaching anywhere in the city. Now all the Fairy Tail wizards were aware of the strange event.

"He's blocked out the sun!" Lisanna pointed out.

"He's just giving you a hint of what he's capable of." Iga said to the group, "This is just the tip of the iceberg."

"I need to stop him before he does anything else." Gohan replied, feeling Edo's ki for the first time, "This power is incredible; and Iga's right."

"You!" Zancrow suddenly interrupted the group, pointing at Iga as he spoke, "You're the reason we're here; our Master was suspicious of your movements ever since you cut that tree down by the graves."

"I see." Iga said, beginning to crack his knuckles, "And did your master ever tell you how strong I am?"

"He did." Zancrow answered, "You'll be no match for the two of us, however."

"Trunks, Gohan," Iga requested, gesturing to Lisanna and Mirjane before adding, "Get these two out of here, and go finish this fight with Edo. I'll take his lackeys."

"You'll regret insulting me, old man." Zancrow stated as Gohan quickly grabbed Mirajane and took off, just as Trunks did the same with Lisanna.

"You're Acnologia's God Slayers, huh?" Iga questioned after he and his two opponents were alone, "Let's see if I remember right, Zancrow, you use fire magic. And you're Orga, you use lightning."

"I'm honored a Dragon God knows my name." Zancrow replied darkly, "It almost makes me a little sad that I have to kill you."

"Well then," Iga replied, taking a fighting stance, "You'll be happy to know, I'm incredibly hard to kill."

On the edge of the city, Gohan and Trunks landed with the Strauss sisters in the sunlight.

"I gotta go back and help Master Iga!" Trunks told the three that were with him. Lisanna gave him a hug before Gohan and Mirajane agreed with a nod. The younger demi-Saiyan glanced to Gohan and Mirajane before floating into the air and looking back at Lisanna.

"I love you, Lisanna." He told her before rocketing off for the fight.

Lisanna stared off in the direction of her boyfriend while her older sister, who was standing behind her, made eye contact with Gohan.

"I guess I should go." Gohan said with a scratch of the back of his neck, "I'm getting tired of this crazy game anyway."

"Me too." Mirajane agreed, making a faint nervous smile.

"If I beat this guy, Mira," Gohan asked her humorously, "What kind of reward does that job get?"

"Any reward you want, as far as I care." Mirajane replied, not entirely knowing what fueled the confidence in her voice, "I mean…"

Gohan furrowed his brow when he noticed she seemed nervous.

"Where's Pan? Or Goten? Videl?" She asked him.

"They're all back home, safe and sound." He said with a reassuring smile.

"If that's true," Mirajane asked, "Why can't I tell anyone else? You know how many people would be overjoyed to know you're all alive."

"Okay," Gohan gave in after a moment of thought, "I guess I've got time to give you the short version…"

The other day…

Gohan approached Whis after a long day of training and chores. He was tired, but the topic he needed to discuss with his teacher was more important than his rest.

"I know what you need from me." Whis had said before Gohan could ask for his assistance with being transported to Earthland.

"But are you aware of what I need from you?" His teacher questioned next.

"What do you mean, sir?" He had asked.

"This Earthland," Whis informed him, "It resides in the 8th Universe; did you know this?"

"I didn't know which one it was in," Gohan replied, "But I did know it was a different universe."

"And yet you decided to meddle in its affairs." Whis stated, "You know members of different universes are restricted from leaving their own?"

Gohan was silent.

"No, you didn't." Whis continued with a sigh, "You should not have allowed Vegeta's son to stay there, either. Now more people will be hurt because of your actions, including your brother."

"Sir?" Gohan replied, asking more out of denial than for clarification.

"I'll take you back to eliminate this 'Edo' so you can fulfill your promises," Whis concluded, "But only on the condition that you and Trunks return to Earth with me, if you survive your challenge."

"And be warned," Whis added before dismissing Gohan, "Too much resistance to these conditions will result in death."

Now…

"So you can't be here because a guy that trains gods told you to?" Mirajane summed Gohan's story up, "And he threatened you?

"That's about right." Gohan replied, scratching the back of his neck, "I also owe him, though. I wouldn't be as strong as I am without him. Wouldn't have this new form either."

"You look good with blue hair." She told him, "And your eyes just grab people's attention, they're so bright."

"I've been told that." Gohan remarked with a smirk. Mirajane smiled back at him and moved a little closer to him.

"The new clothes look nice, too." She complimented him, slowly inching even closer to him.

"My dad will be glad to know." Gohan said, trying to end the conversation so he could finally fight Edo, "I borrowed it from him. Listen, Mira, I like to talk to you a lot; and it's really great to see you again. But I need to-"

He stopped talking when his friend shoved her lips against his, completely taking him by surprise. He did not return the kiss, but he was too stunned to shove her off. She must have known this, because she almost immediately pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry," She quickly said with her back to him as he was still frozen, stunned by what had happened, "I know I shouldn't have done that…"

"Um…" Gohan replied as he tried to think of something to say. He looked at Mirajane, and she seemed to be rubbing her eyes.

"I know." She told him sadly, "I didn't really know until now, but I know. You love Videl."

Gohan was still confused, but he was still able to understand her. He gave her two slow but affirmative nods.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, "I just wanted to know what it'd be like, you and me; and I figured this was as good a time as any to find out."

"Mirajane…" Gohan muttered.

"And now that I know you're never going to see me again," Mirajane continued, "I just had to tell you how I felt before you left."

She went quiet as she cried to herself while Gohan watched. The demi-Saiyan took a moment to choose his actions carefully before speaking.

"Mirajane." He waited for her to turn around and look at him, but she was too embarrassed, "Mira, look at me."

She slowly turned and saw him just before he gave her a hug, confusing her in the process.

"I love you too, Mirajane." He said, talking as Mira slowly returned the hug, "But not the same way I love Videl. You're one of my best friends, and one of the best people I've ever met; so I hate seeing you cry like this. I can't be mad at you while I was hiding things from you. What did I tell you about worrying?"

"It doesn't suit me." She recalled for him, smiling and rubbing her eyes on his shirt.

"Okay." Gohan replied, sounding almost businesslike as he released his friend, "I'm going to go kick this guy's ass and show him what Fairy Tail can do. You get to safety, and we'll talk after, okay?"

Gohan began to float in the air as she nodded before speaking.

"Thank you, Son Gohan." She said with her best attempt at her usual smile, "The food's on me when you get back."

Gohan grinned before rocketing back into the pitch-black skies of Magnolia.

On the streets of Magnolia, a few moments ago…

Iga launched himself into the air, dodging a charging Orga, who had thought he would catch his opponent by surprise in the dark. Zancrow saw Iga jump, and he immediately chose to show the immortal he meant business.

"FLAME GOD'S SECRET ART:" The god slayer shouted, "Forest Fire!"

A massive black blaze rose from the ground, engulfing all of Magnolia's darkened streets in flame. Though it was barely visible with the lack of light, it was certainly painful. Iga discovered this when Orga managed to jump, avoiding the flames, just as he grabbed Iga's leg and threw him to the ground. He hit the ground to feel the heat for an instant before reflex took over; and he began to levitate before he even stood up.

"Flame God's Bellow!" Zancrow called out, appearing from a dark mist above him. He quickly flew out of the attack's way before he had to dodge Orga's attack.

"Lightning God's Fist!" The other God Slayer yelled as he materialized near Iga, aiming to intercept his enemy's dodge.

Orga looked puzzled when he saw Iga catch his punch with one hand. What was even more shocking was that the man was not flinching as black lightning snaked across his body.

"What the-?"

"I thought your master told you how strong I was?" Iga questioned sarcastically before adding, "I don't know if you noticed the burn scar on my right shoulder, did you? No? Well, I got it in a scrap with a lightning dragon. Ever since, then; I decided to train my body to all the elements. And I have had a lot of time to train it. Even if you physically hurt my body, I won't feel it."

He was about to continue intimidating Orga when Zancrow interrupted, appearing just behind Iga.

"Shut up, old man!" He yelled before taking a fiery swipe at his opponents head. It was interrupted; however, as a bright yellow and white explosion occurred in front of Zancrow's face.

"AH!" Zancrow shouted before disappearing into the darkness.

"Thanks, Trunks, you're just in time." Iga greeted his student before looking back to Orga, "Now where were we? Oh, yeah. You can't hurt me, and you can't stop me; okay? This is your last chance to surrender peacefully."

"Burn in hell, old man!" Zancrow snarled, appearing just behind Iga with a huge ball of black flame in his hands, "You and that annoying punk!"

In the skies over Magnolia…

Gohan and Edo were still as they stared each other down, waiting to see who was going to speak first.

"You wanted to see me, Edo?" Gohan questioned finally, the blue light of his aura helping him see in the darkness. He could see Edo smirk before he started to remove his cloak, taking his fanged hood off first and revealing his face to Gohan for the first time.

"Huh." Gohan remarked as he saw the pale yet youthful and strong face of his enemy, "It's weird, Iga said you looked a little like me; but with weirder and darker hair, and lizard eyes."

"Dragon's eyes." Edo corrected Gohan as he tossed his cloak into the wind. Gohan saw he was wearing some black skin tight material for a shirt, loose fitting black pants, and dark and light blue boots. Gohan made a mental note to keep an eye out for those shoes. They would most likely be the easiest part of Edo to see in the dark. There seemed to be a blue flame burning in Edo's eyes, and the bright and fluctuating blue light from Gohan made his hair look like blue flame as well.

"We've been destined to meet like this, Son Gohan." Edo began dramatically, "Here, with the champions of dark and light as our audience. The Gods themselves are watching as gods fight for a world!"

"Sounds exciting." Gohan said sarcastically, though Edo ignored him.

"Ever since I saw your power as a god, I've waited for this day; when you would finally have the strength to face me." He continued, "And I know things got in the way of our little game a year ago; but I think this will make up for all that lost time. Don't you agree, Gohan?"

"For once," Gohan replied, taking a fighting pose, "I do. Now quit talking, and let's end this."

On the ground…

Trunks dove into a burning building to escape Orga's Lightning God's Bellow, only to have the berserk slayer come smashing through the building after him.

"Trunks!" Iga shouted as he saw what happened in his peripheral while he struggled to contain Zancrow's Flame God's Kagutsuchi in a ball of energy and flame.

"I'm okay!" Trunks called out as he emerged from the other side of the building, "But this guy doesn't give up! Double Buster!"

The demi-Saiyan fired the two-handed blast at Orga as soon as he saw the slayer burst through the wall. The attack struck its target in the chest before sending him tumbling back into the building, taking out some more of the wall as well.

Iga saw he had a window and took it. Focusing on his ki, Iga took the sphere holding Zancrow and his magic and threw it away as hard as possible.

"If they're in the air, they can't teleport." Iga informed his student while he had the chance, "Unless there's a solid surface nearby to maintain a big enough rift, they can only perform illusions in the dark."

The two could hear Gohan and Edo fighting far above them; it sounded as if they were in the middle of a very dark thunderstorm, one that had set a large portion of the city aflame.

"Dragons are just like any other reptile." Iga told Trunks, "Cut off the head of the snake, and the rest of the body dies. We don't have to kill these guys. They'll back down if their master is defeated."

"He can do it." Trunks remarked to his master, "I believe in Gohan."

Above them…

Gohan and Edo continued to dart around the sky, slamming attacks into each other at full speed. Gohan was holding nothing back from the start, and it made Edo excited the moment he noticed the fact. He grinned insanely as he continued to meet Gohan's attacks with his own.

"This is everything I'd dreamt it would be!" Edo informed his rival, "We're just starting and I already know my visions have come true!"

"Can you stop talking for at least a minute?" Gohan questioned, swinging a right elbow for Edo's left forehead. Edo caught the attack with his right hand just before trying to counter with his left hand.

"Dragon God's Dark Flame!" Edo roared as he swung his punch for Gohan's stomach, but the Saiyan beyond a god countered with both hands.

"Kamehameha, Times Ten!" Gohan yelled, and the large blue blast met Edo's dark blue and black flame in a mighty explosion that was slightly visible for everyone in the city for a moment.

Gohan floated upright in the smoke as he waited for Edo or his ki to appear.

"Normally, this is where one of us tells the other to surrender." He heard Edo mutter through the darkness, "That their fight is pointless. Well, that isn't happening here, is it?"

"You're getting too much enjoyment out of this, Edo." Gohan declared in response, "I figured out your insanity a while ago. I know how to fix it."

"I'm sure you do." Edo remarked with a chuckle, "I said I chose you for your brains, didn't I?"

Edo reappeared directly behind Gohan, who barely got away as he felt blue and black flames attempt to surround him.

"As strong as you are quick! I love it!" Edo commented before disappearing yet again.

"How many times are we going to do this, Edo?" Gohan questioned, feigning impatience, "You can't keep trying to hide from me all day if you want to win."

"You are right." Edo agreed, his voice a whisper in the wind, coming from all directions, "But I like to savor the good times!"

Gohan waited for just the right instant as Edo appeared behind him again before spinning around, moving his hands and yelling, "Solar Flare!"

"ARGH!" Edo roared as the light hit his eyes.

"All reptile's eyes are bad in the sunlight." Gohan remarked before delivering a crippling punch to the center of Edo's stomach, making the Dragon God of Darkness double over in pain for the first time in at least seventy-five years.

"Ha! Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!" Edo laughed maniacally to get over the pain, "I can't believe how much fun this is! Let's keep this going!"

Below…

Trunks dodged to the right of Orga's thunderbolt, only to end up at Iga's back, who had just dodged Zancrow's Bellow.

"Take your sword out, Trunks." His master quickly instructed, "We'll use it as a distraction."

Trunks nodded before quickly reaching over his shoulder and drawing The Brave Sword. Just as he did, Zancrow appeared in front of him and Orga appeared in front of Iga.

"You're in my way kid," Zancrow taunted Trunks, "Step aside, so I don't have to waste my time incinerating you to get to him."

"Two words, buster." Trunks replied, "Bite me."

"Rrrgh… Fine!" Zancrow growled at them before mumbling eerily calmly, "Dark Flame God's Reaper…"

Trunks could see as Zancrow now wielded a scythe made of black flame, but he could feel the ki reinforcing the blade. He assumed it was probably very sharp to the touch, and the handle would hurt to be hit with as well.

"You're dead meat, you red-headed fossil." Orga told Iga, "You should just let me get this over with quickly, so I can sing a song of how I killed a god and celebrate."

"Sorry big guy," Iga replied, "But I don't do funeral parties. Now, Trunks!"

The demi-Saiyan launched his sword, sending it spinning towards Orga's head. The Lightning God Slayer ducked the sword, but he took a moment to glance at it before it went past him. And with Zancrow watching it as well, the two had the opening they needed.

"Dragon God of Light's Beacon!" Iga and Trunks yelled, jumping upwards in sync with Trunks before he spun to face the ground while his pupil faced the sky, both extending their arms in the same fashion at the space in front of them.

Suddenly, on the ground and in the sky, there appeared massive and very bright white spheres of light that blinded all three dark wizards. Strangely though, the light had no effect on Iga, Trunks, or Gohan.

Gohan took the opportunity to grab a once-again blinded Edo by the front of his neck and hurl him into the air.

"Kamehameha!" the blue-haired Gohan shouted, holding the bright blue beam together as it struck Edo in the back and carried him upwards faster. Edo was cheering with laughter as he rode the attack, but that howling changed to pain as Gohan focused his ki and created a surge of energy in his ki blast, widening the beam more before it exploded on Edo's back.

On the ground, Iga tackled Zancrow and pinned him down, using ki to shield himself from the fiery floor just as Trunks dove right knee first into Orga's ribcage as fast as he could before punching the doubled over slayer on the left side of his head.

"I don't know if you're aware of this, kid, but…" Iga whispered to Zancrow as they two ignored the noise of Orga rolling away in pain in the fire, "There's a little bit of light in you. That's how I know you're not entirely being controlled by Acnologia. You found that light after you died, didn't you?"

"Shut up, old man! You don't know what you're talking about!" Zancrow argued fiercely.

"I do!" Trunks chimed in, floating next to the two, "I saw and heard how you feel about Merudy, I could tell by your actions."

"The darkness is the only way to fix this world!" Zancrow told them as Orga recovered and returned to the air, "My Master will prove that when he defeats your champion."

"YAARGGHH!" Orga yelled as he began to zoom for the three.

"Trunks, shut him up." Iga ordered quickly, "I'm not done talking with this guy."

"Oh, yeah?" Zancrow replied as Trunks rushed Orga, "Well I'm done talking with you! Flame God's Bellow!"

Iga barely managed to dodge the point blank attack, but could not stop Zancrow from joining the darkness on the ground and in the flames, eluding his grip.

Above them, Edo's eyes were beginning to adjust to the intense light, but not fast enough for his liking. He decided he need to knock out the lights before he continued to fight.

Gohan missed a right handed punch he threw at the dark wizard before his enemy rocketed off. Wondering what he was up to, Gohan quickly pursued Edo. He chased him all the way to edge of the darkness before he lost him. He did not have to wait long to learn where he had went. Gohan heard Iga yell Trunks' name from below; and he instantly transmitted to him to see Edo holding Trunks by the back of the neck while Orga and Zancrow watched with amusement.

"I'm guessing if he dies, one of the lights goes out?" Edo remarked as Trunks struggled to free himself, "Does this look familiar to you too, Igneel Flare-Mane? I bet that scar on your neck is all tingly right now."

"Stop this, Acnologia." Iga pleaded forcefully, ignoring his dark jokes, "I'm not going to let you take another student from me."

"How naïve," Edo mocked, "It's amazing how little you've changed over time."

"Err! Shut up, asshole!" Trunks yelled before trying to hit Edo with either his arms of his head. Edo was reigning Trunks in when a bright orange flame erupt above them.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" The rest of the group saw as Natsu and Happy emerged into the light, swinging wildly for Edo's head. The attack connected, and Edo spun and began to fall to his left with the momentum of Natsu's punch.

"Salamander!" Zancrow called out as Gohan fired a yellow ki beam into Edo's center, sending the God Slayers' master flying. Happy turned with Natsu so his friend could face Zancrow, hovering next to Iga.

"You're that Flame God guy right?" Natsu tried to remember correctly, "It felt good to punch your buddy in the face. I owed him that."

"Natsu," Iga questioned quickly, "I'll take Orga, you take Zancrow?"

"Fine by me, whoever you are." Natsu agreed with a grin identical to Iga's.

"Thanks for the save, Natsu." Trunks said as he rubbed his neck, "I'll help you take down Zancrow."

The Fire Dragon Slayer nodded before Orga and Zancrow rushed them.

Gohan followed Edo to the edge of the light, quickly punching the man just before he could reach the darkness and sending him sailing faster into it. This time Edo did not recover before he had flown out of his shadow over Magnolia, and Gohan appeared underneath him as he was exposed to the midday sun, kicking him upwards with both feet.

_This is it!_ Gohan thought to himself before calling out, "Super Saiyan God's Ultimate… Ka…"

"Me…Ha…Me…HAAAAA!"

The epic-sized red beam streaked through the air, connecting with Edo, who screamed in pain before it exploded on top of him. Gohan watched the smoke clear as he panted, finally feeling exhausted from the fight. The smoke cleared, and he could not see a single sign of his enemy. He could not feel his ki, either.

_I think I did it…_ Gohan thought hesitantly to himself.

It was a moment later that he learned he was wrong. The situation was in fact worse than he had thought. Gohan was suddenly grabbed from behind after he dropped his guard, and Edo threw Gohan back into the darkness with a blast of dark blue ki before quickly following him. Gohan slowly recovered mid-flight; but he was struck by Edo before he could reach the light, who had slammed into Gohan with his shoulder wreathed in darkness and flame, redirecting the demi-Saiyan to the fiery surface of the city roads. Gohan crashed into the ground hard enough that the flames had too large of a crater to fill before Gohan could recover and stand up. He hovered over the pit of black fire as Edo landed at its edge. Gohan could see cuts and bruises on his enemy's face, and Edo's clothes were torn in several places; but Edo could see Gohan was exhausting, and as if on cue, Gohan's hair began to flicker to black.

"You're form is finally running out, Gohan." Edo remarked with his signature grin, "You won't be in any state to keep this up soon. I'm beginning to think I've won."

"I am getting tired." Gohan admitted, "But that doesn't mean I won't beat you."

"Such confidence." Edo observed, "A necessary quality for the best of rivals."

"We're not rivals, Edo." Gohan replied, "You're a virus, and I'm the vaccine."

"Oh, no." Edo told his enemy, slightly offended, "You've got the roles reversed, my friend."

Gohan watched as Edo dug his nails through the material of his shirt and into the flesh of his abdomen, ripping both away without a noise of pain.

"Do you see this?" Edo questioned, breathing heavily and angrily. Gohan examined the open wound to see a black lacrima glowing with a blue aura inside Edo.

"This lacrima links me to my Dark Heart." Edo informed Gohan, "You remember that project of mine, yes?"

Gohan's look was the only answer he needed before revealing to his enemy, "I haven't activated it yet."

Gohan was silent as he took a moment to understand the implication. It became even more concerning when his hair returned to its normal hue again.

"I think that'll serve as a decent cue," Edo remarked before joking, "Time to put the rest your lights out, now. Goodbye, Son Gohan. This game has been unforgettable, and I can't wait to claim my prizes."

Edo reached into his wound and touched the lacrima. Gohan saw a bright blue symbol appear on the lacrima, and he watched as Edo became engulfed in flame and sparking amounts of ki; his dark blue and black aura blotted out both beacons of light.

The other six fighters stopped as they saw Edo's full power manifested for the first time. Iga did not like the look of this.

"I am the Master of all Dark Wizards, more powerful than any man alive." Edo boasted as he grew a large ball of flame and ki in his hands, letting Gohan see his bright blue eyes had turned black, "I am the Dragon God of Darkness, and I will crush any who dare to challenge my rule. I, Acnologia of Edolas, declare this day the beginning of a new age!"

"And maybe when I'm done here," Edo suggested to Gohan with an evil grin "I'll take your wife and child as my prize. I'll put these lacrima in both of them if they reject me. I won't feel bad about taking that delicious looking Videl away once you're out of th-"

Edo was interrupted as Gohan instantly warped behind him, yelling in anger as his hair and aura shined bright blue once more, "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Gohan grabbed the dark wizard and put him in a headlock as his aura kept the darkness from touching Edo.

"Don't get desperate, Gohan." Edo commanded his enemy as he struggled to free himself, "You know you've got no way left to beat me."

Gohan knew his enemy was right, until another thought crossed his mind. He did not like the concept of it, and he knew Videl would kill him for ever thinking of it; but he was slowly realizing it was his only solution.

"I can feel the energy leaving your body." Edo pointed out, delaying his counter attack for the sole purpose of seeing and hearing Gohan admit defeat, "You'll be dead soon. Heh, I guess you never had the full potential to defeat me after all."

"Maybe." Gohan replied suddenly, as the words 'full potential' struck a chord, "But I have a question for you, Edolas Acnologia. What happens if it's not you that beats me? The game should end with neither of us getting prizes, right?"

Edo's brow furrowed as he heard the question.

"In theory, yes; but what are you-?" He began to question, but Gohan interrupted him.

"You shouldn't have mentioned my wife and daughter. It made me desperate." Gohan scolded his enemy, "And they are going to hate us both for this…"

Gohan shoved Edo away from him, letting the psychopath see him before Son Gohan punched himself in the stomach, pushing his fist through his own organs before yelling in pain and collapsing to his knees.

Edo stood as shocked as their audience, watching as Gohan fell backward in a pool of his own blood, his hair turning to black as he twitched and moaned in pain.

"GOHAN!" Trunks screamed, and the rest of the audience was shocked as Edo began shouting as well.

"You damned fools!" He swore before waving his hands and quelling Zancrow's fires, "You're helping him kill himself!"

Iga, Natsu, Happy, Trunks, Orga and Zancrow all watched in awe as Edo rushed to hunch over his rival.

"NO!" He protested loudly, breaking the ground covered in Gohan's blood with his fist, "You cannot steal this from me! This was to be my crowning moment!"

"Wake up, Son Gohan!" Edo pleaded crazily, grabbing his foe by the collar with both hands and making forcing him to make eye contact, "Tell me I've won!"

Gohan replied with a chuckle, letting blood ooze out his lips as he focused the last bit of his strength. Gohan managed to get a hand on Edo's lacrima just as the villain figured out what was happening; and Gohan yanked it out with force before crushing it in front of Edo's pain-stricken and surprised face.

"Now Iga can take you out once and for all." Gohan mumbled his last words, "It's too bad for you, Edo. It looks like I still win."

The demi-Saiyan went limp in his enemy's arms, who froze with an overload of confusing emotions as he stared at his foe's corpse.

"How dare you…" Edo remarked slowly, "How… dare… you… you, BASTARD!"

Zancrow and Orga were unsure of what to do as they watched their master.

"AAAGHHHH!" Edo roared before firing multiple blasts point-blank at Gohan's body, completely erasing it as he screamed with primal rage.

"Gohan…" Trunks remarked as he fought the urge to cry. Iga also stared on in shock as his old enemy seemed to finish his temper tantrum.

"No way…" Natsu added, and Happy was crying as he lowered his friend to the now-safe ground.

"It's over…" Edo muttered to himself, slowly standing up in the center of his crater. The only sign Son Gohan was ever there was the blood that covered the ground and some of Edo's clothing.

"How could it end like this?" Edo questioned, looking up to the sky for a minute before turning to his henchmen, "Unless… Come you two, we've got places to be."

The four heroes watched nervously as Zancrow and Orga obeyed their master, though confused, leaving through portals in the ground before Edo, who was staring at Iga.

"I guess this round is a draw, Igneel." Edo remarked to his oldest enemy, "I look forward to seeing Trunks here fill Gohan's shoes as your next champion. Goodbye for now, old friend."

With that, Edolas Acnologia disappeared in his own shadow.

"Igneel?" Natsu questioned, looking to Iga with a range of emotions, "Was he talking to you? Why is your name Igneel?"

"Calm down, kid; you're being a pest." Iga replied, slightly irritated at the moment, before ordering Trunks, "Knock these two out so we can wipe their memory."

"Do we really need to do that, Master?" Trunks asked as Natsu glared angrily between the two.

Iga replied by rapidly incapacitating Natsu and Happy with his own hands.

"There's nothing left of him." Iga told Trunks as the young man ran to the crater that marked where he had last seen his friend.

"I know." Trunks replied as he fell to one knew in exhaustion and grief, "But I did nothing to help him!"

Trunks punched the ground in anger.

"You never could have." Whis chimed in as he announced his presence, "There was nothing any of you could do the moment Acnologia activated his weapon. Gohan last act, though desperate, was the smartest decision he could have made. It's too bad you two were caught up in sentiment to capitalize on the moment and finish your foe off, though. You nearly made Gohan's death pointless."

"Shut you're goddamned mouth, right now!" Iga roared at the blue-skinned man, "Who the hell are you anyway?!"

"He's Whis." Trunks told his master, "He trains and tends to our universe's God of Destruction. He's also, obviously, the one that trained Gohan, as well."

"And you are Igneel, Trunks' teacher?" Whis questioned before adding, "I've come to take Trunks to his proper home. We're leaving now."

"What?!" Trunks demanded as Igneel stared at the man thoughtfully.

"By all accords, none of this should have ever occurred." Whis explained to the two, "It is forbidden for inhabitants of separate universes to interfere with each other's affairs. Any form of deity has the basic sense of this concept, at least."

"I do." Iga agreed sadly, "But can't you give the kid time to process everything? I mean, he's got someone he loves from this world…"

"Which should never have happened." Whis reminded the man, "Besides, I can't afford any more delays; I have arrangements elsewhere, and I'm an hour or so from being near Earth at the moment."

"No! I can't!" Trunks argued, "I'm not leaving Lisanna!"

"The rules are clear, Trunks." Whis stated to the young man, "If you will not come with me, I must erase you from existence; and I do not wish to do that, seeing that your mother would more than likely never make me a meal again if I told her I killed her oldest child."

Trunks looked nervously between Iga and Whis.

"Go ahead, Trunks." Iga ordered his student with resolve, "Lisanna would be more hurt to learn you were killed instead of evicted. I'll tell her what happened."

Trunks heard his master, though he still hesitated, "But Master…"

"Go now, Trunks." His teacher said angrily, "Before I knock you out and hand you to him."

"Yes, Sir." Trunks replied, finally gaining some resolve and coming to terms with his situation. Iga smiled as his student finally decided to obey before extending his right hand to Trunks.

"Keep up your training, kid; and you'll be stronger than you could never believe." Iga remarked with his hand out, "It was an honor to teach you and work with you. I'm glad I can call you a friend; and I'm sorry for your loss."

Trunks glanced at the man's extended hand before swatting it aside and giving his friend as hug, who slowly returned it with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't die of boredom while I'm gone, okay?" He joked before releasing his master.

"That's easy." Iga jested as he watched Trunks stand near Whis, "Because I'll probably die of hunger before that, without my two great chefs hanging around day and night."

Trunks grinned before he grabbed Whis' back and they were lifted into the air before zooming away.

"Good luck with the family, kid," Iga said aloud as he watched them fly away, "I get the feeling this isn't the end of the war; and I'll need you when the next round starts."


	28. Epilogue

Epilogue

Son Gohan awoke standing in the front right corner of an overly large square room with four opened doorways and a massive desk that towered over him as its centerpiece. From the stories his father had told him, Gohan could guess he knew where he was. He reached over his head to feel his halo before hearing someone calling out.

"Hello? Big guy with the pointy hair?" the stranger questioned as Gohan looked at him, "Anybody in there?"

The man standing before him was at least a foot shorter than him, clean shaven and blue skinned. He was wearing a red business suit with a blue tie, and he held a book of some sort in his right hand and a pen in his left.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Gohan replied as he gathered himself.

"It's understandable." The man remarked as he jotted something down in his book, "Death can easily be a confusing, terrifying, or disorienting event."

"Oh, I don't really care about that." Gohan explained casually, "I counted on getting here."

"Indeed." The short blue man agreed, tapping his pen against his book twice, "Say's so right here. There's a lot of interesting things in here, for sure."

"So this is the check-in station for Otherworld?" Gohan wondered aloud.

"It is." The blue man answered before adding, "Look, I've got a lot of work to do, if you can't tell; so I'm going to be quick."

Gohan looked past the man and saw a huge line of people without bodies that started at the front door and seemed to go on forever past it.

"Normally we don't do anything different for people that die away from their own planet," the man explained, "But you're from another universe, so I don't rightly know what to do with you. But you did keep your body, so you've got a little more options than these folks."

"I need to get back to the Otherworld in my universe." Gohan told the man in response, "You don't know anyone who might have an idea on how to do that?"

"That's beyond me, buddy." The man said with a chuckle, "My job's the desk job. Well it would be, if someone gave me the right size desk."

"Maybe the Supreme Kai?" Gohan questioned aloud, mostly to himself, "He'd know how to get there."

"Supreme Kai?!" The man repeated, slightly sweating at the mention of his highest level boss, "You sure aim big for a newbie, huh? Well, no one here knows how to get to him; heck, he's nearly a myth around here. You might want to run down Eel Way and talk to East Kai first."

Gohan saw the man point to the doorway on the right before responding.

"Eh," He said with a thought, "I think I've got a quicker way to do this."

He put two fingers to his forehead as he scanned Otherworld for its largest divine ki, it took him a minute; but he eventually found it.

"Ahah!" Gohan said happily before looking to the blue man, "Thanks for the help, sir!"

The blue man did not even get to respond before Gohan had disappeared. He reappeared on a peaceful, grassy hill, standing behind a purple woman with long white hair that was sitting cross-legged in the grass.

"A guest?" She asked without bothering to move, "I haven't had a guest in at least thirty years."

"Supreme Kai?" Gohan questioned.

"That's me." She answered without budging still, "And you must be our guest from another universe."

"You've been watching me?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Not entirely." She said before levitating a crystal ball over her head, "But I did see what put you on this side of the universe."

"Ma'am," Gohan replied, "I need to get back to my own Otherworld, so I can see the Supreme Kai there."

"Don't worry." She suddenly informed him, "He's on his way here now."

"He is?" Gohan asked, slightly surprised.

"You may be a strong, gentlemanly, and divine hunk of a man;" She replied honestly without looking at him, "But you were born in a different universe. As far as I'm concerned, I want nothing to do with you; no offense."

"None taken." Gohan told her, "I heard a whole lecture about the rules."

"A great system, isn't it?" She questioned sarcastically, "You and your friends could have been killed instantly because that guy dragged you all the way here against your will. I guess it's a good thing I decided to not pass word of you along."

"Were you supposed to?" Gohan asked.

"Officially, yes." She answered, "But I don't like letting Gods of Destruction do their work. Sometimes they go too far and cause a bigger mess than the first problem did, especially if they get annoyed."

"Yeah, they do get like that." Gohan remarked with a laugh before he saw the earrings she was wearing, "Are those Potara earrings?"

"They are." She replied before glancing curiously at him for the first time, "All Supreme Kais wear them. You ask a lot of questions for someone who knows a lot of the answers."

"Sorry," Gohan apologized, scratching the back of his head, "I just like to chat when I've got nothing else to do."

"Here, then." She replied with a snap of her fingers, and a large black suit of armor clanged on the ground in front of him, "That armor is made from the heaviest metal in this universe. Only deities have been able to walk with it on, most usually end up crawling their first try."

"Really?" Gohan asked with interest, "Sounds like a good challenge."

The Supreme Kai of the 8th universe finally turned all the way around to watch him put the armor on, impressed he was able to even lift the pieces up to don them. Her eyes widened in shock when he did several jumping jacks after fully suiting up.

"How?" She questioned in shock before Gohan sprinted off with the armor, doing a full lap of her moderately sized planet before stopping in front of her.

"This is really heavy." Gohan told her after he sighed before asking, "You don't happen to have a second set, do you?"

The purple woman fell over backwards with surprise as Gohan quickly caught her mid fall.

"Whoa!" He shouted as she fell before asking her as he held her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied with a hint of shame, quickly standing and shoving him off her, "I just can't believe you asked that. I mean, I know you've experienced divinity; but you're on a different level entirely, aren't you?"

"I guess." Gohan replied with a shrug.

"And you're modest?" She whined before turning her back to him again, "Your friend better get here soon before I decide to keep you here. Just keep training or something while you wait."

"You don't happen to have anything to eat, do you, Ma'am?" Gohan questioned, "I am getting kind of hungry."

"You're dead." She remarked with some confusion, "Why do you want food? You don't need it."

"I know," Gohan answered honestly, "I just like food."

She rolled her eyes at him before snapping her fingers and making three different suits of armor, each one bigger than the one to appear before it.

It was at least an hour later that the 7th Universe's Supreme Kai appeared standing next to Gohan with some confusion.

"Hi, Supreme Kai!" Gohan greeted from within his four sets of armor and one helmet, barely moving his right arm as he waved at the Kai.

"Gohan?" The blue man questioned, "What are you wearing?"

"He's been doing some weight training while he waited." The female Kai answered for her first guest, "He broke your record the moment he put the first piece on."

"I'm not surprised." The blue Kai remarked, "He trains at my God of Destruction's home, after all."

"That would explain some things." She remarked before Gohan saw her mood seemed to change very quickly as she added, "But you need to explain some things as well."

"Me?" Gohan's kai questioned nervously.

"Yes, you." She stated, slightly irritated, "Why is I've got to wait nearly fifty years and break an inter-universal rule before I get to hear from you again?"

"I am sorry, it's not like that." The blue man said apologetically, "Things have just been crazy back home. I just recently undid my accidental fusion with my assistant too."

Gohan watched the exchange curiously, watching as the two Kais caught up with one another. The two conversed for a few more minutes before Gohan's Kai turned to him.

"I think it's time we go, Gohan."

The demi-Saiyan nodded and quickly undressed out of all the armor. He could hear the other two talking as he did.

"You should come back and visit some time." The female Kai said to her colleague, "Things are pretty boring over here."

"I will." The male Kai promised. Gohan lifted the helmet off his head just in time to see the two kissing for a brief instant. The blue Kai wore a dumb grin on his face as he turned towards Gohan.

"C'mon, Gohan." He said confidently, "We've got some work to do."

"Goodbye, Gohan, it was a pleasure to meet you." the purple Kai said farewell to him before looking to his Kai with a smile, "And I'll see you soon."

The two disappeared the next instant, with Gohan staring knowingly at his Kai before they left.

It took at least an hour for the two to reach the 7th Universe, using Supreme Kai's instantaneous movement to jump from certain points of the 8th Universe before they were close enough to their own Otherworld to warp straight there. They arrived on the Supreme Kai's planet, and Gohan was surprised to see no one around to greet them.

"Where's Old Kai at?" Gohan asked curiously, "Or Kibito?"

"My ancestor is taking a nap." Supreme Kai answered, "And Kibito's out running some errands for me."

"Oh." Gohan replied before bringing up the elephant in the room, "So, about back there… I never knew you had a girlfriend."

"I guess you can call her that." Supreme Kai remarked, his face flushing slightly.

"But I thought people that live in different universe aren't allowed to interact with each other." Gohan replied.

"That's the rule for mortals." The Kai explained, "But for the gods, we simply can't intervene with the natural order of each other's universes. Interacting with just the Kais doesn't break that rule unless you start telling them how to do their job."

"I think I get it." Gohan replied honestly before changing the subject, "Do you think we can wake Old Kai? I have a question that I think only he can answer."

Supreme Kai immediately led Gohan to the same spot he had trained with the Z Sword at, pointing to a tree where the Elder Kai was snoring with his face covered by some manga.

"Ancestor?" Supreme Kai questioned as he walked to stand over the old man, "Sir?"

"Eh?" The elder deity asked as he stirred, moving the book over his face partially to look at the source of his disturbance, "What do you want?"

"Gohan's here, sir." Supreme Kai explained, "He said he's got a question for you."

"That's new." Elder Kai remarked as he sat up, "I wasn't aware people could just come to our home whenever they wanted. Especially to visit Otherworld."

"He's not visiting sir," Supreme Kai informed his ancestor, "Gohan's dead."

"Oh." The elder replied, somewhat surprised before he saw Gohan and the halo over his head, "I guess that changes things. How did you die, son?"

"I killed myself." Gohan answered honestly, and Elder Kai gave him scrutinizing look.

"I'll explain the full story later, ancestor." Supreme Kai remarked before looking to Gohan, "What is your question, Gohan?"

"Right." Gohan said as he thought and looked at the elder Kai, "Sir, I wanted to ask you exactly how your magic worked."

"Which magic?" Old Kai questioned, "Do you mean the ritual I performed on you?"

"Yes, sir." Gohan answered before explaining, "You said it would unlock my full potential; but now that I've been training as a god, it feels like your magic has worn off."

"It has not." Elder Kai informed the demi-Saiyan, "But you should be smart enough to know that there's a significant difference between your god forms and the others you have learned. The two are literally on separate levels of existence."

"So," Gohan concluded, "Your ritual didn't actually wear off, it just doesn't affect god powers?"

"Yes, and I don't know." Old Kai explained, "I've never tried to use the ritual on a god. Never needed to either."

"So you don't know what would happen?" Gohan replied, and the elder shook his head.

"Well," Gohan said after a moment as he thought, "What if we tried to find out?"

"Are you asking my ancestor to redo the ritual on you?" Supreme Kai questioned, "Do gods even have potential?"

"They can train and get stronger." Gohan stated thoughtfully, "So I would assume so."

"And Saiyans do have an uncanny ability to find new ways to get stronger." Elder Kai chimed in, "Hm, maybe something would happen."

"So are you going to do the ritual with me again?" Gohan asked.

"Nope." Old Kai answered, catching Gohan by surprise.

"What? Why?" The demi-Saiyan asked, confused.

"Do you remember how long it took to unlock your full potential as a normal person?" Old Kai elaborated, using the word 'normal' slightly sarcastically, "I don't intend to find out how long it would take to unlock a god's full potential."

"Sir…" Gohan began to insist, but was interrupted.

"Unless…" Old Kai suddenly added, "You can do something for me first."

"What is it?" Gohan asked. Supreme Kai did not like the sound of his ancestor's tone.

"I'm still owed from the last time I helped you." Old Kai reminded the demi-Saiyan, "If you can actually me a hot date from Earth, then maybe I'll consider it."

"But, sir." Gohan argued while Supreme Kai shook his head in shame, "I'm dead; I can't go there and bring anyone back with me."

"Well that's too bad." Old Kai replied.

"We could use North Kai to talk to someone there." Supreme Kai suggested before adding, "And I'm sure you'd like to hear from your family as well."

"I'll be right back." Gohan said without even replying before putting two fingers to his head and disappearing.

Gohan warped next to King Kai as he was washing his car, jumping and shouting in surprise when Gohan popped up next to him.

"Sorry about that, King Kai." Gohan greeted the Kai, "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Gohan?" North Kai asked with interest, "What are you doing here? Oh."

The Kai's eyes answered his own question, seeing the halo over his visitor's head.

"Sir?" Gohan replied, "I need your help."

On Earth…

Bulma and Trunks were at Goku and Chi Chi's, comforting the Son family as Trunks recounted what had happened on Earthland, leaving out nothing except for the fact that Gohan killed himself. Videl had stormed out angrily with her daughter before Goten chased after her a few minutes ago, leaving the mother and son Briefs in a room with a passed out Chi Chi before Trunks could even finish telling the story.

"I wish Goku and your father were here." Bulma whined quietly to her son, "All of this, it's just too much some times."

Trunks only nodded in agreement when his mother seemed to start talking to herself.

"What?" She said suddenly, looking around, "Gohan? Is that you?"

_Yeah, it's me. King Kai's helping me talk to you right now._

"What's he saying, Mom?" Trunks questioned, "I can't hear him."

"Don't worry about it yet," she quickly instructed, "Go get Videl, now."

Trunks quickly nodded before dashing out the house.

_I'm sorry about what happened to Trunks._

"You don't need to apologize for that," She quickly assured him, "It's just weird to know my son's technically thirty-six years old; but if he is okay with it, so am I."

_That's good, I was worried you'd be angry; and I need your help._

"My help?" She asked.

_Did my dad ever tell you he volunteered you for a date?_

"He did what?! When was this?!"

_Back when we fought Buu. My dad said he'd convince to go on a date with the old Supreme Kai so we could unlock my full potential. Long story short, I need the date to actually happen._

"I'm not some eye candy you can just use for a bargaining chip, you know." She remarked irritably.

_I don't think Old Kai really cares who, though. He just says he wants "a hot date"._

"Why are you trying to get the old creep a date anyway?"

_To see if he can unlock my full potential as a god. It's the only way I'll ever be strong enough to protect people I care about._

"Is that really Gohan?" Bulma heard Videl question as she announced her presence at the door. Bulma nodded anxiously as she approached.

"Gohan?" Videl said again, looking upwards since she had no clue where to really look.

_Hey, Videl._ He replied, slightly sad, _I'm sorry I broke my promise._

"It really is you…" His wife remarked, her eyes beginning to water again.

_How's Pan?_

"Asking where her father is; but she doesn't really know what's happened yet." Videl answered with a sniffle, "Goten and Trunks are watching her right now."

_That's good. Can you guys tell Goten I'm sorry I lied to him? I wanted to do that when I got home, but you know how that turned out._

"Sure; but Gohan, Trunks said you saved everyone, but Edo's not dead." She recalled as she wiped her eyes, "It doesn't make sense."

_Let's just say I ended his game before he could._ Gohan remarked cryptically, _All that really matters is that he's not interested in hurting you or Pan anymore._

"Where are you?" Videl questioned.

_At King Kai's right now, but I'll be back at Supreme Kai's soon. I had hoped to explain what was happening to you before Trunks gave you the bad news; but travelling between different Otherworld's takes some time._

"Explain what, Gohan?" Videl asked, still trying to hold back tears.

_I'm going to need you guys to not revive me with the Dragon Balls until I've finished training. Old Kai is going to help me try to unlock my god powers' full potential._

"That's possible?" his wife questioned.

_We think. But he won't help me unless he gets a hot date._

"Really?" Videl remarked, annoyed, "What a creep."

_I know, but he won't compromise at all. And we do technically owe him already._

"I've got a better idea." Videl suddenly suggested, "Let me talk to him."

Bulma looked skeptically at Videl, curious as to what the younger woman had in mind.

_Okay…_ Gohan replied slowly before going quiet. The two women guessed he was speaking with King Kai.

_King Kai says that's fine, but he's worried you're going to say something rude to Old Kai._

"I won't." Videl promised. Only Bulma saw the smirk on Videl's face as she lied.

"Bulma," the woman requested, "Can you help Chi Chi to her room?"

The bluenette nodded before waking up her friend and helping her. She had a feeling that she would not want to be in earshot of whatever Videl had to say, and that Chi Chi would probably enjoy the moment less. Bulma left Chi Chi in her bed before leaving the Son house entirely; hearing nothing but yelling for at least a solid three minutes.

A few moments later, Gohan was back in touch with his wife.

_Hey, honey? What did you tell Old Kai? He just said to forget the whole dating thing, and then volunteered to help me. King Kai said he won't repeat what you said, either._

"Oh, nothing." Videl replied smugly, "I just told him the dangers of keeping a man from coming home to his wife and daughter."

_Huh._

"How long do you think this new training is going to take?"

_I don't know. Old Kai has never tried anything like this before, but I promise I'll tell you the moment it's finished._

"Just make sure you keep this promise."

_Of course I will, Videl. You know I'm not going to be happy until I'm back on Earth with you and Pan._

Gohan was quiet as he waited for his wife to reply, getting nervous when she did not after a moment.

_Videl? Are you okay? Please don't be crying._

"I'm not." She lied, rubbing her eyes, "I'm just thinking."

_I've got to go soon, Videl. The sooner I get this training started, the sooner I'll be back._

"Then get a move on, Gohan." She replied, smiling and wishing he could see it, "You know how impatient I can get."

_I do. Well then, I guess this is goodbye for now._

"Sounds like it." Videl agreed before adding, "I love you, Gohan."

_I love you too, Videl; and give Pan extra love for me. I'm excited to see you two again already._


End file.
